ROTBTD: Four Against Fear
by LegendaryRaconteuse
Summary: A Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons fic where the four are enrolled in their last year at Hogwarts, this is the story of how Jack gains his powers, Rapunzel finds her family, Hiccup trains Toothless, and Merida changes her fate. All the while, they battle Pitch and unveil the Hallows. Late 1600s. Jackunzel, Merricup, Hicastrid, Flynn-Rapunzel; K-Plus (violence/innuendos slightly T)
1. Prologue

Prologue

The Hogwarts Express slowly edged out of the station. A fiery redheaded girl, probably about eleven years old, was waving excitedly out the train window to her parents, who smiled at her illuminated expression. Being Scottish, the family had, for generations, learned their magic at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Scotland. The journey to London, England to King's Cross Station just to board a magical train back to Scotland seemed pointless at times, but Apparition made the travel quite simple.

"Now, now, Fergus, stop yer worryin'; our little lass can handle herself on her first year," said a woman who appeared to be the wife of the man called Fergus.

"Just seein' yer eldest daughter grow up so fast! Aren't ye proud of her, Elinor?" Fergus did indeed have tears in his eyes, but a smile similar to the one of their daughter's lit up his gaze. His hand rested on Elinor's protruding stomach, obviously bearing at least twins, maybe even triplets. They held hands, shared a smile, and Disapparated.

Other families began leaving the station as the train sped away, the children waving final goodbyes to their parents as long as they could see each other. A single burly man with a scraggly auburn beard and Viking helmet merely nodded at a tall, thin, brunette boy who shyly waved from a train window. Hidden by a mustache that blended in gradually with his beard, a smile pricked at the corners of the man's mouth. His boy had always been different. But now, different was special, extraordinary. With pride, he suddenly turned and walked away, his big physique nearly knocking someone over.

"Oh, err, my apologies, miss."

The tall woman had a keen sense of balance and steadied herself, but in the process shrugged off a black hood that revealed frizzy ebony curls and a timeless face; she could've been twenty-five or forty, but she definitely had the wise eyes of a mother.

"No worries, young man, no worries." The burly man walked off, leaving the single woman alone. She seemed to be the only parent not waving a good-bye or expressing a glow of admiration and pride at their child. She merely watched the caboose of the train, as if staring at it long enough would speed it up and carry her child far, far away. "Safe and sound," she muttered, and, unlike the man who'd nearly knocked her over, turned gracefully and slipped tactfully and undetected through the crowd.

She briskly passed another family, who walked away slowly- a mom and a dad on either side of a little girl, probably around six years old, who skipped between them, holding both their hands. They all had the same straight yet wild brown hair, ragged clothing, and tall, lanky figure. "When's he coming back, Mommy?" the girl asked.

"Summer, sweetie."

The little girl pouted. "That's a long time."

The father shared an understanding look with the mother. Technically, children could come home over winter break, but with food being as scarce as it was already, their son had offered to stay at the school, away from his parents and little sister, for a full nine-month stretch. "Just keep her better fed," he'd said right before he left, with a final hug to his parents. "Three mouths are easier than four." The mother nodded to the father, proud of their son, but worried at the same time. Holding brave looks for each other, the family passed through the magic brick wall into the Muggle world, where they belonged.

Meanwhile, the redheaded girl kept her eyes on her parents- it wasn't hard, because her father and her same frizzy red hair that stood out in crowds- but when she lost sight of them, she kept waving at the station pointlessly until it was out of view. She had been standing by the doors of the train, because she found it the best view to give good-byes to her family. Picking up her trunk, she searched for an empty compartment.

Nearly every compartment was already filled.

And, most certainly, there weren't any empty ones available. Oh, well. That gave her an excuse to drop by a semi-empty compartment and make new friends. Someway in front of her, she saw a girl ahead, constantly rolling a bag over long blond hair. It tracked the floor behind her for several feet. The redhead giggled and jogged ahead.

"Hey!"redhead called. "Ye need a bit o' help with that hair o' hers?" The blond turned around and clutched her locks. "Mighty long, ain't it?"

"Um, yeah, well…" Her big green eyes darted side to side, slightly angled downward, as if counting the freckles sprinkled on her cheeks. "I like it long."

"Cut it if I were ye…" The redhead saw the blond jump and quickly changed the subject. "I'll roll yer bag, find a compartment for us, an' I'll teach ye to braid it. My mum's always makin' me braid me own to keep it out o' the way, ye know? Not like the braids work in me hair. Merida, by the way. Merida DunBroch. Who are ye?"

Merida began rolling the blond girl's bag, so the blond girl had no choice but to follow. "R-Rapunzel. Rapunzel Gothel." Rapunzel gathered up her hair and trotted after Merida. "Have you been to this school before?"

"Might've as well. Me family's been goin' here for generations! I'm only a first year, but I know a great somethin' how the school works! I take it yer a first year too?"

Rapunzel nodded. "My mother is a non-wizard-"

"Witch."

"I'm sorry?"

"Wizards are boys. Ye an' I are witches. So, yer mother would be a non-witch. Are ye Muggle-born or half-blood?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Half-blood means one o' yer parents are magic-folk. Pureblood means both sides o' yer family are magic-folk, an' that's what I am. Some folk use the term for superiority, as if blood makes ye any more or less magical." Merida smirked, and Rapunzel picked up that while there must be some pride being pureblood, others were ashamed of their arrogance. But not all could be against non-pureblood, because Merida seemed open-minded to… blood type. "So that's why 'half-blood' means ye got one magic parent an' one non-magic parent, or a Muggle, a non-magic folk. A Muggle-born is rare, an' usually looked down upon, but they often turn out to be some o' the most powerful magic folk."

"Why would a Muggle-born be looked down upon? Who are they?"

"Wizards or witches with Muggle parents. An' ye want to know why they're looked down upon? Arrogant purebloods think their blood is better. Racism, if ye ask me. So, ye say yer mom isn't a witch. So are ye half-blood or Muggle-born?"

"Well, I never met my father; I don't really know, to be honest. But my mother never talked about him, ever, and him being magic would explain why I have-" Rapunzel caught herself from saying something and clutched her hair.

"Ye knew ye were different from childhood."

"Sure."

"I'd say yer half-blood. Clicks better with yer past."

Rapunzel nodded. "When some wizards came this past summer to tell me of my acceptance to the school, they said they traced me by 'descent of magic bloodline'. My mother was quite startled; looked like she was ready to kill."

"People just magically appearin' inside yer house ought to startle ye."

"Especially when… well, I have a protective mother."

"Me parents are strict, too. Well, me mum, anyway…" Merida peeked into the window of a compartment. "Only two in here. Boys."

"Ew."

"It's the first available compartment I've seen in me searchin'. Ye found another one?" And with that, Merida kicked open the door, probably because her hands were full from Rapunzel's and her own bags, but this was probably something she did at home regardless. "Anyone sittin' there, boys?" Merida's head jerked to two empty seats.

The two boys looked somewhat alike- brown hair, tall and lanky physique, and big eyes. The closest one, however, had green eyes and freckles, and looked shy and startled at Merida's entrance, jumping a bit. The one by the window had brown eyes, maybe closer to amber, and a mischievous expression permanently etched into upturned eyebrows and an unnerving smile. "Apparently you two are," the latter said, gesturing to the seats. As Merida put up the two bags in the hold above their heads, Rapunzel slipped across the compartment to take the seat against the window opposite of the boy who'd spoken, absentmindedly pulling her hair while watching Merida. The boy leaned forward and held out his hand, which got Rapunzel's attention. "Jack, by the way." Rapunzel threw her hair down and slowly outstretched her hand. Jack took it, chuckling. "And my friend here- you're not going to believe this- his name is-"

"Jack, stop it!" the boy with the green eyes protested.

"-Is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III."

Merida, who'd been standing on her seat adjusting the bags above her, nearly fell off her seat with laughter. "Yer name is 'Hiccup'?"

"The third," Jack reminded.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "It's traditional-"

"For Vikings to have scary names, yeah, yeah, yeah. Horrendous Haddock would've been good enough!" Jack howled with laughter and Hiccup blushed.

"Ye've had yer joke, Jack." Merida's blue eyes pierced him, though she was clearly exerting great strength to suppress laughter. "Ye can stop now."

"Oh, like you can tell me what to do."

"I'm the crown princess of clan DunBroch, thank-ye very much!" And with that, she sat down in her seat, arms folded.

"Ooh, burn…" Hiccup started. Jack elbowed him, scowling, but grinned when he saw the action caused Rapunzel to giggle. "So…" Hiccup gestured to Rapunzel and Merida. "You two are…"

"Rapunzel."

"Merida."

"Cool. What year are you two in?" Hiccup asked. "Both of us are just starting."

"We're first years, too!" Rapunzel sat up, excitedly. "But Merida knows what she's doing. Her family's been at this school for generations! I'm only a half-blood, but my mother never knew my father was a wizard. Came as quite a surprise for her."

"For me, my mother was the witch. And Jack here…" At this, Hiccup glanced at Jack, who had opened his mouth and then shut it, "hasn't stopped making 'yo mama' jokes for the entire trip. It was the last thing she told my dad before she died-"

"I'm so sorry!" Rapunzel said, clasping her hands to her mouth. "I don't know what happened to my dad, but to have a parent die…"

"I was a baby when it happened and never met her, so I'm more curious than sad. Since she was dying when she told my father, he thought she was going crazy, because she was dying, after all. Then, eleven years later, these wizards who called themselves the 'Ministry for Magic' show up and recruit you or whatever over the summer."

"That's what happened to me!" Rapunzel smiled.

"And me," said Jack. "But I don't have a trace of magic blood in me. I'm what they called a Muggle-born, born from a non-magical family. So I thought I would be more confused than anyone, but you two apparently don't know any more than I do."

"An' what am I, chopped liver?" Merida's defiant tone was endearing and caused everyone to crack a smile.

"So… tell us about the school!" Rapunzel pleaded.

"Well, when we arrive at dinner for the start-o'-term feast, they round up all the first years for the Sortin' Hat. It sorts which dormitory or house yer goin' to be stayin' in for yer seven years at Hogwarts!"

"How does it work?" Rapunzel inquired. Hiccup nodded, anxiously, and Jack cocked his head, bored with the information but not wanting to enter the school being the only one who didn't know what the heck was going on.

"Ye put it on, and the hat puts ye in one o' the four houses."

"I'm sorry, the hat decides where you're going to spend the next seven years of your academic life?" Jack interrupted.

"It's magical," Merida explained.

"Right," Jack sighed. "That settles everything."

Detecting the sarcasm, she smirked. "Anyway, the four are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." The last house seemed to leave a nasty taste in her mouth.

"You don't like Slytherin," Hiccup picked up.

"I wasn't tryin' to make it obvious." Merida started, but by her airy tone, it was obvious she kind of was. "Slytherin House is burstin' with purebloods, or wizardin' families with no Muggle family. It's no rule, but the founder of the house didn't take a likin' to half-bloods or Muggle-born wizards. Ye'd have a hard time findin' a half-blood, much less a Muggle-born, in that house."

"What's so bad about being pureblood? You're one," Rapunzel argued.

"There's nothin' wrong with bein' pureblood; there's somethin' wrong with thinkin' it makes ye better than others. That's what Slytherin is."

"So do you have to be put in Slytherin because you're a pureblood?" Jack asked.

"Slytherin would be an honorable house, if it weren't for racist purebloods. I don't want to be hatin' on a house with a mixed history. Its good members outnumber its bad. They're simply less heard o'. Slytherin is a house o' cunnin' leaders. They are very practical, an' know how to protect what they love, an' fight threatenin' forces an' enemies. As enemies, ye bet they're brutal, but as allies, they're great to have on yer side. But I guess it's character more than blood to be put in that house. They're very tactful. I go by impulse an' whim. I think I'm leanin' toward a more Gryffindor personality. Ye bet that's probably me house. They're known for bravery an' strength." It sounded like Merida was trying to convince herself more than the others, though. "I'd sport the scarlet an' gold over green an' silver any day," she grumbled.

"Oh, so the houses have colors. Let's give them mascots, too!" Jack scoffed.

"Already done. Yer a boy full of sass, aren't ye?" Merida shot. Rapunzel giggled, and her big green eyes implored Merida to answer of the house animals. "Gryffindor is a lion, and Slytherin is a snake."

"You said there were two more houses?" Hiccup said hopefully.

"Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw students wear bronze an' blue- the house colors are integrated with school uniform, ye see- an' their animal is an eagle. Bloody brilliant, a Ravenclaw is. Not only are they good at memorizin' an' understandin', they have an overpowerin' will to learn. Ye would always expect a Ravenclaw to be at the head o' the class. A Hufflepuff wears black an' yellow, an' their animal is a badger. If ye want someone to back ye in a fight, a Hufflepuff would be yer best bet, though they're often overlooked. A Hufflepuff is loyal an' determined, an' have an inclination to do what is right no matter what. They're carin' an' understadin', an' they don't pick a fight unless necessary."

For the rest of the train ride, Merida explained Quidditch, class options, spells, notorious wizards, information about Hogwarts Castle, and much more, all while braiding back Rapunzel's hair, who watched carefully in the reflection of the window, memorizing every hand motion. She had relaxed and was more comfortable with Merida touching her precious locks, and Hiccup was naturally trustworthy; he just had that air to him. But Rapunzel kept shooting glances at Jack, who would already be looking at her, with that unnerving expression that reminded her of a five-year-old schoolboy who cut girls' hair with safety scissors.

Naturally, Merida led them from the train station to the boats across a lake and into the Great Hall. The other first years looked anxious, but some were excited like Merida. "That's the Sortin' Hat!" Merida screeched, pointing to the front.

"That's it?" Jack whispered to Hiccup. The old brown hat looked like a stereotypical wizard's hat that had been beaten and worn to its end, probably past that. It sat on a wooden stool in the front of a podium where, at the moment, the Headmaster had just arrived. At least, Jack guessed it was the Headmaster. He looked in charge, and all the students seemed to just shut up as soon as he stood tall. Plus, he was the oldest guy in there. As an older brother, Jack knew that the older you were, the better position you get, but the more responsibility you bear. He wasn't sure if that was just a sibling thing, but he went with his assumption.

"Welcome, students, old and new." His voice quavered with age, but it still sounded excited for the school year. "I am Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Before we begin our feast, we must yield to tradition of sorting our first years into their future houses. Newcomers, before you, you see four tables. They each stand for the four dormitories you will be staying with for your next seven years. You will be sorted into your house by this hat in front of me, which has been magically instilled with the wisdom of Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin, each of whom have named their houses for themselves. The hat is enchanted to read into who you really are and put you with the students most like yourself. They will be like your family. Each house will compete for points, which can be earned simply by class participation, yet taken away just as easily by breaking rules, like curfew. Now, let the sorting begin!" Professor Dumbledore raised his arms to the cheering of the rest of the Hall. Then, within the folds of the wizard's hat, one particular fold began to function as a mouth, reciting a song that seemed, at first, official and boring, but then became confusing.

_Welcome one and all to the Sorting Ceremony_

_Where your fate at this school is at my decree_

_You have four different houses as possibilities_

_And thus I will sort you based on your potencies_

_Gryffindor is where the brave at heart dwell_

_Hufflepuff is the home of the true and the loyal_

_Ravenclaw is filled with bright minds to shine_

_Slytherin marks its importance back in time_

_Your house is who you really aspire to be_

_But that does not mean you are of its good quality_

_Each house has its flaws of which you are not exempt_

_House points do not give you points of worthiness, despite attempt_

_All houses must come together and empower one another_

_For your flaw, the other has saving power_

_And when another house falls, be at its service_

_You may be the only one who can provide assistance _

Dumbledore broke the silence with his bellowing voice, calling of the first years in alphabetical order of their surname. That meant that towards the beginning, the first among the four new unlikely friends to be called was "DunBroch, Merida!"

Merida practically sprinted up to the stool and slammed the hat deep over her brow. She pressed her lips together and swung her legs anxiously.

_Ah, yes, pureblooded family. I offer Slytherin, of course, to any pureblood at first…_

_No,_ Merida thought intently. _No, no, no._

_You do seem to have a mind of equality for Muggle-born magic-folk. That would take you out of Slytherin right away. You also seem, hmm, restless, impertinent, and daring._

Merida cringed. _That's not a bad thing, ye know._

_Brave. That's what you'd admit to. The biggest compliment someone could pay you is bravery. You know what house I'm getting at, and since you aren't arguing…_

"GRYFFINDOR!" The Sorting Hat bellowed across the Great Hall. The wizard hat practically popped off of Merida's untamed red curly hair as she eagerly joined her house table, filled with students in scarlet-and-gold ties who were cheering, as every house cheered for their new member. However, as Rapunzel watched her friend join Gryffindor table, she could tell they were eager to see Merida specifically be apart of their house. It must be common knowledge DunBroch was a royal family in Scotland.

"Frost, Jackson!" Dumbledore called. Jack flinched besides Hiccup, who clapped him on the shoulder.

"You better get going, _Jackson_."

"_Hiccup_."

The boys glowered, and Rapunzel giggled, receiving that same unnerving smile from Jack. She wasn't stupid; she began to pick up on how Jack teased people for enjoyment; not just for himself and the people around him, but the people he teased, too. Sure enough, as Jack swaggered down the Great Hall, Hiccup shook his head, smiling. He loved being teased by Jack, but he wasn't going to admit that.

Jack daintily picked up the Sorting Hat by two fingers, making a face as if it smelled bad. Giggles aroused from the students of the Great Hall, and teachers put forth a noticeable effort to remember his face in their class as a troublemaker. Reluctantly, he slid the hat on his head.

Jack didn't expect for the hat to talk to him, and it didn't for a while. _Well, well, well… _came an echo resounding in his skull.

"Oh, shoot! Is the hat supposed to be telepathic?" Jack yelled across the hall, knocking the hat off his head. He wasn't trying to make anybody laugh, and his genuinely frightened face made the students roar all the harder.

"I understand your shock, Jackson." The Headmaster smiled down at him. "Though I must implore you to not knock a Hogwarts artifact carelessly to the ground."

"It's- I apologize, sir." He was going to correct his name was Jack, not Jackson, but this didn't seem the time to do it. Picking up the hat with much more respect this time, he sat back down on the stool and put it on shamefully.

Jack squirmed. An apology would get the hat talking again. He thought, _Sorry._

_Muggle-born, I see. This whole thing must be new to you. For that, I will spare you the pain of having the sword of Godric Gryffindor shoved through your skull._

_Oh, ok, so you, a hat, can conjure telepathic messages and the swords of dead school guys? Great. I love this place._

_Very sassy. _Jack smiled, and the hat continued. _If it weren't for your birth status, I'd say you're cunning, resourceful, charming, and everything a Slytherin would want._

_I thought Slytherin was only for the purebloods._

_Slytherin members think purebloods are better, that's all._

_Well, I don't._

_Slytherin members are also quite blunt with their thoughts. Ambitious, too._

_Are you going to yell "Slytherin" or not?_

_You are a powerful wizard. One of many talents. And for that, I grant a choice. But let me advise you: Muggle-born wizards are often judged for being lesser, and this is not right. Slytherin House is often judged for being… judgmental, and while true to a degree, it is nonetheless not right to judge. Don't let others limit your ambition, Jack. Every house has its advantage, and certain students do better in others. For you specifically, Slytherin would make you a great, great wizard._

Jack sighed. He remembered how Merida hated the members of Slytherin so much, and the hat seemed to read this.

_Gryffindor and Slytherin are often enemies. But you and your friend can fix this unnecessary breach._

_Slytherin,_ Jack thought, coming to peace with himself. _The rest of my house can get over my blood, and the other houses, by knowing I'm Muggle-born, will know I'm not judgmental to other Muggle-born wizards, obviously._

_Forethought, another great talent of a Slytherin,_ the hat mused. _I'm going to put you in _"SLYTHERIN!"

Jack took off the hat to cheering from the table in silver and green. He managed to meet Merida's eyes as he handed the hat to Professor Dumbledore, who looked shocked, disappointed, and then accepting. _Her smile and encouraging nod prove she's very brave_, Jack thought, _to accept me for what she hates_. He strode over to the table, where he was welcomed warmly. It was hard to believe they were so judgmental against birth, and if the hat hadn't admitted to it, he probably wouldn't have taken Merida's word for it.

Immediately after him, Professor Dumbledore shouted, "Gothel, Rapunzel!" It was like one collective gasp choked the entire Hall. People marveled at her hair, and a boy next to Jack muttered, "I'd bet my money she was part Veela."

"What's a Veela?"

The handsome young guy next to him laughed. "Jackson, right?"

"Jack."

"Well, Jack, Veela are extremely beautiful semi-human magical beings, that are known for being… extremely beautiful. Although, they also often have a bit of arrogance in their eyes. This Rapunzel just seems timid and not at all arrogant. It's the long, blond hair that bears Veela resemblance. It's probably magical; why wouldn't she cut it?"

Jack looked around, and other Slytherin boys drawled over her. His stomach crawled. "I met her on the train here. She's a half-blood." Jack noticed the boy's face contort for a split second and fought his anger. "She didn't know she was magical until this summer. It's from her dad's side; her mom knew nothing of the magic world. If Rapunzel lives with her mom, not her dad, how would she know to keep magic hair?"

"Probably a bit more to her story. Heck, she might have tonsurephobia, the fear of cutting your hair. By the way, I'm Flynn. Flynn Rider. Second year student."

"You look older," Jack thought, before realizing that was a stupid thing to say.

"I didn't start Hogwarts until I was thirteen. While most second years are twelve, I'm fourteen. Why so late? I was on the run. Both of my parents died when I was really young. I grew up in a lousy orphanage and didn't know I was magic. Once I ran off, the Ministry for Magic had to track me down. They found me two years late and told the kingdom I'd been transferred to some reform school for troubled orphans. I… I stole things, but I had to live, you know? At first it was food to survive and stuff, but I wanted more of a challenge, more adventure." Flynn chuckled.

Jack raised an eyebrow. Slytherin House must be close-knit, because this guy had no problem spilling his crimes. "What 'challenging' things did you steal?"

"Shh… she's putting the hat on." Something told Jack this was a desperate attempt to end the conversation and he wouldn't be getting an answer anytime soon.

Rapunzel sat perfectly still, and braced herself. She would've had Jack's exact same reaction if she hadn't expected the hat to possibly talk in her mind, and something told her the little freak out was much more endearing on Jack than it was on her.

_Why aren't you wearing shoes?_

That's what the hat said to her. Really. Feeling her overly long school robes with her toes, she knew the rest of the school couldn't see her bare feet. How could a hat, on her head, with no eyes, see her feet?

_Good question. I just know they're shoeless. Where are your shoes?_

_Oh, so you communicate with the hat by thoughts?_

_Don't refer to me in the third person._

_Sorry. Well…_ _I've never owned shoes in my life. Mother was going to buy me some for school, and I tried them on, but… I prefer to be barefoot. It makes me feel more grounded._

_Amusing. And why don't you cut your hair?_

The answer undulated through her mind, but she blocked it. No way was a hat of all things going to discover her secret.

_I see. Interesting. Already gifted in Occlumency. The art of blocking thought from magical penetration. The fact you can block thoughts from me… you are a very, very intelligent young girl. You are quite promising and will do fantastic at this school._

Rapunzel felt herself smiling, her shoulders relaxing. _Thank-you. That's the nicest thing anyone could say to me._

_Hmm. I see you like to chart stars on your ceiling? Lucky you: your mother lets you paint on the ceiling of a tower… are you royalty?_

_No. I just live in a tower._

_It's not just the tower. It's… well, a sense of regality in your being. I suspect it's your wisdom. Those wise beyond their years are in none other than Ravenclaw._

_But I want to be with my friend, Merida._

_You can still see and be with your friend, rest assured. But the Ravenclaw house is imperative if you wish to be the best witch you can be. Aren't you a dedicated learner?_

_Ok, yes. You promise me I can still see my friends?_

_You are not limited to your house. Did you not hear my song earlier? Interacting and bonding with other houses is what makes Hogwarts so powerful. The entire Ravenclaw House is no match for one Ravenclaw, one Hufflepuff, one Slytherin, and one Gryffindor combined._

Rapunzel smiled. _Then that's where I want to be. Ravenclaw._

And as she thought the word, the hat bellowed the house name across the hall, and she saw, upon taking off the hat, a table of bronze-and-blue looked at her with interest and welcoming, beckoning her over. She remembered the Headmaster saying her house was like her family, and summoned up the courage to walk over to them. What, was someone going to chop off her hair for no reason? Catching Merida's eye, she smiled and put a hand on her plaits, to thank her for the braids that made her hair only fall to halfway down her calf. Ingenious. Something told her that Merida's mom, who taught the braid to Merida, was probably a Ravenclaw. Merida's smile back said she understood the gratitude and her thumbs up supported Rapunzel on her way to her table.

Hiccup now stood alone, waiting for his name to be called, and it wasn't long before "Haddock, Hiccup!" rung through the Great Hall and aroused much laughter. On his way down the center aisle, he saw someone sitting next to Jack, laughing hysterically. He seemed older, cooler, and definitely better-looking than Hiccup. But, to his great pleasure, Hiccup saw Jack shake his head and whisper a few words to the cool dude. Whatever Jack said caused the handsome friend to look up at Hiccup with respect and a polite smile. Hiccup dashed the rest of the way up to the stool and the Sorting Hat; the laughing had died down, causing his procession to be accompanied by silence. The silence that served Merida was one of reverence, the silence for Jack was of high approval, and surely the silence for Rapunzel had been none other than one of admiration. But for him, the silence was judgmental and colder than his Viking tribe on Berk.

The Sorting hat fell deep over Hiccup's long, thin head.

_Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, is it? Future leader of the Viking tribe on the Island of Berk off of Norway-_

_Yeah, yeah, _Hiccup thought, _enough formalities. I'm more than a family line._

_Touchy._

Hiccup sat in silence, and the hat said nothing more. _Um… is that all you say?_

_No. I talk about students' futures in their prospective houses._

_Well, which house am I being thrown into?_

_Thrown, you say?_

_Enlighten me if I'm wrong, but stereotyping people… organizing cliques… That's all this seems to be to me. I want to be put with a group of people who don't judge others by their house but by their character. People who can be counted on for support._

_You will lead your tribe greatly one day, Hiccup. Funny name though._

_I've heard that a lot._

_Well, if that's the kind house you want to be in, I know you'll fit perfectly in _"HUFFLEPUFF!"

A kid from the Slytherin table snorted, and two Ravenclaw girls nodded at one another, while the Hufflepuff table cheered louder than Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw had ever done. In fact, they'd been cheering equally as loud for all their new classmates. The black-and-yellow in their ties didn't feature a prideful metallic shade. Hiccup knew this was the house he wanted to be in. Throwing a quick glance to Jack, he saw Jack smile and urge him onto his house with a wave of his hands. Hiccup glanced at the new friend Jack had made and guessed, like the hat, the dude respected him only for being the future leader of a tribe. That's what Jack must've told him.

But the classmates who enthusiastically received him were going to judge him for who he really was. They were loyal, honest, and good-natured, not labeled so because they were from Hufflepuff, but because they had a caring glow behind their eyes.

The sorting continued on, and Hiccup sat in the first available seat. He turned to his right and nearly jumped. Naturally, he'd found a seat next to one of the most beautiful girls at Hufflepuff table, or maybe the whole school, who was way older than he was.

She brushed the uneven blond hair from her eyes, and despite her skinny build and endearing smile, her blue eyes shown with strength. "It's Hiccup, right? I'm Astrid, seventh year Hogwarts student."

"So… it's your last year." Way to crush on an unobtainable girl, Hiccup thought. He had always been a sucker for girls. It had nothing to do with puberty, because, despite his tendency to grow like a weed, there's no way he could've hit it yet with his high voice and lack of muscles. Sure, Jack was also skinny, but he had that lower voice that made girls in the Great Hall swoon when he freaked over a talking hat.

Astrid nodded. "I'm Head Girl. That's basically what it sounds like; I'm the Head Girl of the entire student body here at Hogwarts. Lots of people say Hufflepuff is where the weak are- oh, you don't need to worry; each house has its flaw- but it goes to show you that hard work and dedication can get you anywhere. Those kids who called me weak answer to me know. Anyways, I know this school like the back of my hand. If you ever need help with anything, you can come to me." And with a smile, Astrid turned back to the Sorting Ceremony, giving the same speech to each of the new Hufflepuff students.


	2. Beginning, Bad, & Beasts

_Six Years Later_

Merida kicked the door to their compartment open for old times' sake. "Anyone sittin' there, boys?"

Jack smiled. "Apparently you two are." He and Hiccup were in the same seats they'd been in during their first year trip to Hogwarts, and Merida and Rapunzel settled back into their traditional seats. Jack motioned to Rapunzel to help him tie up his green-and-silver tie because, apparently, he'd never bothered to learn.

"Yer a seventh year, ye bloke," Merida chided. "Rapunzel here isn't goin' to be 'round to tie up yer tie all the time."

"I don't plan on wearing another tie once I get out of school. No, don't knot it that much! You're strangling me!" Rapunzel pulled tighter on his tie, laughing in that way that made it look like her freckles were dancing around her cheeks.

Hiccup had been absentmindedly knotting and unknotting his own tie for a few minutes at this point, wishing he'd been as smart as Jack. Jack knew very well how to tie a tie; he'd taught Hiccup. But he wasn't about to blow that secret; they were friends, disregarding how annoying Jack could get sometimes… which was technically quite frequent. "Kind of weird. Our last train-ride together to Hogwarts."

Jack pressed his forehead to the window pretending to be sickened by the sentimental note. "Well, there's still the ride back to school after winter holiday."

"But, Jack, you're never with us! You always stay at Hogwarts for the winter," Rapunzel pointed out.

"An' ye say ye don't like school, don't ye?" Merida laughed.

"It's our last year together," Hiccup said, an idea striking him suddenly. "Why don't we all stay at Hogwarts for Christmas?"

Jack peeled his forehead off the window slowly, his dark hair collapsing in his eyes. All three of his friends were smiling at him. "You mean… with me?"

"No, we're goin' to stay at Hogwarts just to be avoidin' ye," Merida teased. "We have the choice! We're o' age in the wizardin'! All o' us are seventeen, no?"

"Besides, Mother likes it when I'm gone at Hogwarts," said Rapunzel. "She feels it's safer for me here."

Jack caught her eye, and that unanswered question hovered between them: why would being away from your mother and your home be safer? Rapunzel dropped his gaze and didn't have to answer, because Hiccup was too busy talking.

"Berk is a thousand times colder than Hogwarts in the winter. I'd love to stay here. Besides, Christmas in a Viking settlement isn't a holly jolly, very merry Christmas. At least, not what you're all used to. There're no trees or stockings or mistletoe; I didn't even know that was a thing until Hogwarts, or a Muggle thing, much less, until two years ago. It's more like, let's freeze our buns off and eat dried fruit we had harvested during the summer until it's warm enough to hunt."

Jack smiled. He hadn't celebrated a Christmas since his the year before his first at Hogwarts. His parents couldn't get him presents while he stayed at school because they didn't understand Owl Post. Furthermore, they couldn't send a card or any type of letter the entire year because they couldn't understand Owl Post. Luckily, _he_ could still send his family letters everyday, which, he would see when he came home for the summer, were chronologically organized in his sister's trunk. The only presents he got were from Merida, Rapunzel, and Hiccup, and over the years, they'd probably picked up on that.

"So, Jack, do you want us to stay with you for Christmas?" Rapunzel asked, tucking her feet underneath her. Jack imaged mistletoe descending over her in the train compartment and pushed the image away. It was only September first.

"Sure, why not? I'll put up with you guys… if I have to."

The three greatest friends he'd ever had cheered loudly, and Jack never felt more alive. "I'm sure me folks would be fine with me stayin' at Hogwarts over Christmas for me last year," Merida said. "But if they aren't, I won't be comin' home anyway. Not like they can Apparate inside the walls o' Hogwarts an' take me home! I've been achin' for a Christmas away from those three wee devils."

"Wait, your brothers? Hamish, Hubert, and Harris can't be that bad! I've always wanted at least one little brother," Hiccup supplied.

"That's what ye think until they pop into yer world."

"You didn't have to use the terminology 'pop'," Jack cringed.

"Yer mind would twist it, wouldn't it?" Merida scoffed.

"I'm more startled at his vocabulary. '_Term-in-ol-o-gy_'. Five syllables, bro. Must've gotten it from Rapunzel." Hiccup wiggled his eyebrows.

"Ooh, look," Rapunzel said from over her book, trying to get them to drop that conversation before it started, "_Hogwarts: A History_ says there's lots of secret hidden passages around the castle. That would be a fun thing to explore over winter break."

"Duh. What do you think I do when I break curfew?" Jack said, also willing to drop the conversation; in fact, he was prepared to lock that conversation in a box, swallow the key, and chuck the box off the nearest cliff. "I've probably found more than that book knows even exist!"

Rapunzel opened her mouth to protest why he never showed her, but realized it would be safe to save the chastising for later. Instead, Hiccup gasped and picked up the new conversation. "You break curfew?"

"Ye don't?" Merida said with a low, monotone voice, scrunching her eyebrows in knowing, not caring to suppress her smile.

Hiccup blushed at her remark. "Not consistently. _That_ one time doesn't count," he noted to Merida before Jack interrupted.

"What one time?" Jack said, catching a suspicious tone between Merida and Hiccup. Rapunzel sighed. It was like she babysat two little boys and constantly had to keep Hiccup and Jack from pulling each other's hair. She steered the conversation away from Merida-Hiccup-gossip, the way she'd done for Jack and herself previously.

"Oh, goodness, Merida, remember that one time I visited your kingdom for the entire summer and you tried to teach me to play Quidditch?"

Merida burst out laughing, and Hiccup took Rapunzel's line. "What happened?"

"Hamish, Hubert, and Harris were holding onto my hair when I took off, and I freaked out when I felt something tug on my head, so I shot as high as I could in the air."

Merida picked up the story. "An' then, I was screamin' 'Mother!' to try an' get her to see me brothers were annoyin' me and Rapunzel-"

"-And I thought she said 'Bludger'. So I thought there was a Bludger in my hair. And Merida was teaching me to play Beater, so I had one of those bats in my hands-"

"Whoa, this just got really interesting!" Jack leaned forward.

Hiccup covered his eyes, but Jack's were bugging out, and, combined with the huge smile on his face, Jack looked hilarious.

"-An' so she's pulling' up her hair like a lasso, she's bloody good with it like that, an' swingin' it 'round to try an' knock the Bludger out. Or me brothers. Same thing."

"Did you hit them?" Hiccup cringed.

"No, the swinging motions made them lose their grip. So Merida here had to fly around and catch her brothers. She went for the one that I hurdled straight down to the ground first, catching him inches away from the rocks before setting him down. Then, she sped across the air to the brother that flew way out to the side, tucked him under one arm the way she does with that Quaffle-" This caused Merida to blush and Jack to laugh hysterically. "-And then she went for the third one." Rapunzel fought for composure. "And- and the third one, I'd launched straight above me, so he was just falling back down to me, and I was all like, oh sure, I can catch him. Merida-"

"Me hair was in me eyes!"

"-Didn't see me and ran right into me, dropping the second one, who managed to catch onto my hair. The third one propelled downward, and Merida shot down after him… Long story short, no one died." Rapunzel smoothed her skirt and disappeared behind _Hogwarts: A History_, feeling she'd done her part in changing the conversation for Merida and Hiccup's sake.

The train lurched, and the girls fell forward in their seats, crumpling to the floor. Merida's head bumped sharply against Hiccup's knee, while Hiccup glared at Jack for catching Rapunzel so chivalrously. Gosh, he thought, I really need some tips.

"Sorry, Hiccup, ye ok?" Merida said, putting her hand on that same knee to support herself back up.

"_I'm_ fine. Is your head ok?" He stood as well and pushed away her fiery red mane to inspect for bruising, and had a feeling even her hair wasn't as red as his face.

"I'm good, promise ye." Merida cocked her head. "Train's stopped."

As he helped Rapunzel stand up, Jack snorted, "Observation worthy of a Ravenclaw." He laughed, until he realized that Rapunzel was standing next to him, having regained full balance, yet still holding his hand. She was pressed against his shoulder, staring out the tiny compartment window out into the aisle.

"Look," she said, shakily pointing her free hand. A Dementor was floating right outside. Suddenly, the exciting prickles up Jack's spine from holding Rapunzel's hand turned into a coiling snake, wrapping itself around Jack, constricting, paralyzing. All four drew their wands.

The door opened.

Although hard to do with the Dementor not even five feet away, Jack thought of every happy thought he could think of. Entertaining his little sister when she had the flu and making her laugh. Watching Merida soar through the air on her broom, leading Gryffindor to victory during a Quidditch match. Tripping her in the halls so she'd land into Hiccup's arms, who would, as soon as Merida's attention was misdirected, give Jack a knowing thumbs-up. Rapunzel's hand grasping his own. Reality holding him down.

Sure enough, the Dementor's attention was off his friends. Hiccup and Merida pressed themselves to opposite walls as the Dementor parted through them, approaching Jack. He released Rapunzel's hand and with his arm pushed her back, slowly raising his wand hand.

"_Expecto-_" And then it all went wrong.

The Dementor lunged at Jack and pressed him to the floor, slowly lowering over his mouth. It occurred to Jack just to shut his mouth, but he couldn't. He had no energy. There were no muscles or bones in his body. The fatal Dementor's kiss seemed like a stupid way to go- appropriate for his pathetic life… despair was already overpowering.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" Merida yelled, and the last thing Jack remembered was a blinding white light and Rapunzel screaming.

* * *

Jack's eyes blinked open. He and Rapunzel were alone in the train compartment. "What-"

"You just passed out. Took you a while to come back. I've already sent Merida and Hiccup for help."

"Who did you get?"

"Professor Pitch."

Jack sat up like a bullet. He noticed Rapunzel's hair was piled onto his chest, and that it was impossibly lightweight. It slid off of him at once. "What? Pitch hates me!"

"He's the Slytherin Head of House _and_ the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. _Professor_ Pitch doesn't hate you and is probably our best bet for getting you better. If any one knows how to help you recover from Dementor attacks, it'd be him."

"You seemed to be doing pretty good on your own. Besides, you volunteer with Madam Pomfrey in the infirmary at school. I'm pretty sure you could help me 'recover from Dementor attacks' better than-"

"In here, Professor Pitch!" Merida's accent made Jack smile. Professor _Peach_, it almost sounded like. That didn't make Pitch any more bearable when he entered.

"Jackson Frost," Pitch noted.

"It's Jack."

"It's Jack, _sir_."

"_Sir_."

Jack wished he could count on Hiccup for this. Hiccup had a way with every teacher in Hogwarts. They all just loved Hiccup like their own son. Jack, however… they didn't like so much. It was kind of mutual. Teachers were just so confusing, and not just in lessons. They encouraged Jack to hang out and study with Hiccup because he's a "good influence", but discouraged Hiccup to hang out with Jack because he's a "bad influence". First of all, Jack thought, get out of your student's social lives. Second, make up your minds. Off-topic. Jack knew Pitch didn't have student favorites. He hated all students, including Hiccup, almost as much as he loathed Jack.

Almost.

But Jack held a special place in Pitch's "heart".

"Your friends told me you have had a Dementor attack," Pitch said.

He didn't look sympathetic or shocked. Jack frowned. "Are there more?"

"Jack, stay down," Rapunzel whispered, and Jack realized he'd been trying to stand up. Sure, he was shaken, but ready to fight more Dementors if necessary.

Pitch snarled. "There are no more Dementors on board. And if there were, you're in no condition to go off all heroic and save the school." Something told Jack that by "no condition", Pitch didn't mean weakened by a personal attack, but just too weak, period, if he couldn't defeat that first one less than five minutes ago.

"Why was there a Dementor on the train?" Rapunzel asked calmly.

"And why did the train stop all dramatically when it was waiting right outside our compartment?" Hiccup followed up a little more fearfully.

Pitch glared at Hiccup until Hiccup dropped his gaze, then at Rapunzel. Turning his attention to Jack for a few awkward seconds of silence, he merely said, "Jack will be fine. His soul seems perfectly in tact. You're quite lucky your friend here was able to cast a Patronus before the Dementor could devour your soul. A non-corporal Patronus, nonetheless, but still effective." Pitch turned to Merida, with a look that said: _And now, because of you, the Dementor couldn't devour Jack's soul. Thanks for ruining my day._

"Professor Pitch, if ye will…" Merida took a deep breath. "If that's all ye need to attend to with Jack, can ye answer Rapunzel's an' Hiccup's questions?"

Jack really, really wanted a peach pie at this point.

"A Dementor is on the train because I want it to be."

"Why?" Jack asked, infuriated. He was only kidding himself, thinking Pitch purposefully tried to kill him, and, for a second, Jack had to regulate his breathing so he didn't hyperventilate. This guy drove. Jack. Nuts.

"I thought it would protect the students from unwanted dangers." Pitch's eyes pierced Jack's, and Jack tried to think why _this_ was worthy revenge for having hexed Pitch's coat at the end of the previous year to give him a nasty orange rash. Certainly Pitch couldn't have figured out that was Jack.

Jack's gaze went to Pitch's neck. The faintest shade of persimmon seemed to still be there. Pitch caught this motion and smiled wickedly.

"Don't be too _rash_ in attacking my decisions. And why did it stop in front of your compartment?" Pitch turned to Hiccup, who'd voiced the question earlier. "I haven't the foggiest. Perhaps there's something in your bags the Dementor was after. Perhaps it was an unwanted danger the Dementors are supposed to be protecting the students from." Pitch's face lowered so his nose almost touched Hiccup's. "Perhaps I better check."

Merida's eyes bugged, and then narrowed. "Professor Pitch-"

Jack's stomach rumbled quite audibly. Everyone looked at him. "Sorry."

Pitch motioned to Rapunzel. "Ladies first. Get your bag."

Rapunzel was a quick thinker. "I'd rather have a female professor check my bag."

"_Sir_," Pitch corrected.

"Sir. My apologies, Professor. But I do have that right."

Jack half admired Rapunzel's rational head and quick thinking, half wanted to grab her and shake her shoulders and scream, "He's a moron! Don't respect him! You don't have to apologize for anything!"

Pitch realized he was at an impasse. Jack decided to go with the half that admired his friend's beautiful blond rational head. "Well, as Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, I think I can tell when threatening things are aboard. You're excused."

Pitch left quickly, and all Hiccup had to say was, "He never answered my question. I asked why the _train_ stopped when the Dementor was standing outside our compartment. Pitch told us why the _Dementor_ stopped outside our compartment- stupid reason. Let's be real. But I want to know why the train stopped!"

Rapunzel shrugged. "Maybe it never did. Maybe it just felt like it stopped with all the happiness being sucked out of us. It was a Dementor."

"Rapunzel, yer back's been to the window the whole time. The landscape isn't movin' anywhere." Merida shook her head, and the train lurched again, this time, to start. Hiccup caught Merida as she staggered, and Rapunzel, who'd been getting up to look out the window, fell back down onto Jack, who was still sitting. He grunted with surprise and pleasure, smiling as he fell on his back onto the floor, Rapunzel on top of him.

"Sorry," she squeaked

"Don't worry about it."

She smiled back and clumsily got off of him back into her seat, hiding behind her bookmarked page in _Hogwarts: A History_.

"Rapunzel," Jack called. She glanced up. "It's upside down."

"Oh, Jack, it's been upside down the entire trip. I've read it the normal way millions of times and it gets boring. So, I read it upside down instead. It provides a challenge."

Rapunzel. She never cuts her hair, she never wears shoes, she revives people who fainted from Dementor attacks by loading all her hair on their torso, and she reads books upside down when they get old. Jack simply couldn't help himself.

* * *

Hiccup was super exited to find his first class was Care of Magical Creatures, followed by Herbology. As if the day couldn't get any better.

He hurried outside Hogwarts castle, because that's where Care of Magical Creatures took place. The wind flapped his black-and-yellow tie in his face, and after glancing around to make sure no one saw that, he scampered off to class.

Hiccup had missed start-of-term feast because he was down in the kitchen with the house elves; they needed help cooking. That wasn't a talent he liked to broadcast, but, yes, Hiccup loved to cook. The house elves down there were great company, and he loved seeing their faces light up when he entered to help cook or clean. Of course, Hiccup was often busy with his studies, so his visits were infrequent and therefore all the more treasured by the elves. Since the kitchen was very near to Hufflepuff Basement, no one ever noticed how he slipped away every now and then.

Before going to bed the night of start-of-term feast, classmates were discussing a new teacher who'd been introduced at the feast to teach Care of Magical Creatures, and that she used to be a Hufflepuff. Excited to meet her, Hiccup quickened his pace.

And he saw her. "Astrid?" The wind flapped Hiccup's tie in his face.

The blond girl turned around and narrowed her eyes. "Professor Hofferson."

"What- oh, of course, I'm sorry, I just, you know, when I first year…" Hiccup took a breath. "I met you when I was a first year and you were a seventh year. Since you were a student, I knew you as Astrid. You were Head Girl, remember, Professor Hofferson? I'm sorry; I won't call you Astrid again," he added for good measure.

She sighed. "That makes sense. I expected a few students who knew me by my first name would call me Astrid. I'm already the youngest on the staff right now, you see, and I want to prove to Professor Dumbledore I can earn the students' respect. Having those few call me by my first name would kind of put a damper on that. So… you're early to class." Astrid tried to sound like an upbeat, helpful teacher, but she also sounded slightly pestered. Hiccup swallowed. He had no idea his first year crush would be here.

"Care of Magical Creatures is my favorite class; I'm always here early. So, Professor Hofferson, what are we learning today?"

"Shouldn't my lesson plans be kept a surprise?"

"Yeah, I guess you're-"

"Fine, I'll tell you." Astrid leaned in close. "Dragons."

Hiccup hopped back, his green eyes illuminated with surprise. "Are you serious?"

"This is seventh year Care of Magical Creatures. You want good NEWTs; you have to keep up with the program of other wizardry schools around Europe. Besides, I work training dragons for a living. Before I took this job, at least. This position is kind of like a 'business-trip', recruiting other witches and wizards to work with magical creatures. So, I'm still with the industry, just… off-campus, if you will."

"Which dragons will we learn about, Professor Hofferson?" Hiccup brushed the stupid bumblebee tie out of his face. Again.

"We're going to do more than learn about; we're going to interact with. That's why I've chosen the ten purebred dragons. There're lots of hybrids, but they all come from the ten. Know your basics, and you'll be fine. We're starting with the Common Welsh Green, as that's the native dragon for Great Britain, and our last two will be the Peruvian Vipertooth and the Hungarian Horntail. I know the second, third, and fourth dragons we'll study, but I can't decide which order I'd put them in…"

Hiccup wasn't about to interrupt a teacher, so he zoned out during Astrid's prospective lesson plans until the end. "Professor Hofferson, you said ten purebreds?"

"Yes." Astrid raised her eyebrows, and was beginning to pick up by his tone that Hiccup really knew his magical creatures.

"What about the eleventh? The-"

"Yes, Hiccup, but it doesn't crossbreed, so it's not one of the basic ten. It's like its own "class", and it's already a rare species. Barely anyone knows they exist, and no one's ever been able to capture one to study it. Oh, sure, there's plenty of proof it exists, but it just flies around and destroys random islands. Most of the time, no one lives on them. Most of the time. How did you even know about it?"

"I come from the Viking village Berk. It's a 'random island'. It's infested with dragons up there. We don't kill dragons unless absolutely necessary, but we do a lot to keep them away from our livestock. Ever since I came to Hogwarts, I've been collecting books in the library and studying on how to protect the Muggles at Berk. I'm the chief's son; it's my responsibility. So… I've seen attacks by the Night Fury. I want to learn-"

Astrid blinked. "Oh, sorry Hiccup, more students are coming. I better go meet them." And she left him.

There had to be some information she had on the Night Fury. Hiccup didn't let her forget he needed it. At the beginning of class, when Astrid needed someone to name all ten purebred dragons, he raised his hand, and, once chosen, made a show about it that only she would pick up on.

"Professor Hofferson, the ten purebred dragons- oh, I'm sorry- the ten purebred dragons that _crossbreed _are the Antipodean Opaleye, the Chinese Fireball, the Common Welsh Dragon, the Hebridean Black, the Hungarian Horntail, the Norwegian Ridgeback, the Peruvian Vipertooth, the Romanian Longhorn, the Swedish Short-Snout, and the Ukrainian Ironbelly."

Astrid's eye twitched at the beginning, and she wasn't too impressed with the listing, since he'd told her he'd grown up on a dragon-invested island. She assumed everyone knew this where he was from, and she was right. Nevertheless, she gave ten points to Hufflepuff, and that made him content.

Astrid continued, without saying a word about the eleventh that didn't crossbreed.

Then, she led the class through the forest to a cage. "Ok, so who in here is really brave? And that's not just for Gryffindors!" There were no Gryffindors in the class, and the Hufflepuffs in the class laughed and cheered; they made up about eighty percent of the class. Besides that, two Ravenclaws and a Slytherin couldn't help but smile. "C'mon, who's brave? I need some hands!" Hiccup raised his hand with the rest of the class and then realized that no one else was doing it. "Ah, perfect, Mister Haddock!"

Hiccup was ready to die as he waded to the front of the class. "Hiccup was talking to me before class about how exited he was to learn about dragons, as he's from a Viking village infested with them!"

_Never said I was exited_, he thought. _It's just important to learn._

"And since he's going to be chief of his tribe one day-" Yes. Tell the entire class that. Little shaggy-haired twig is going to lead a bunch of Vikings one day. That's a great idea. "-Hiccup must learn how to fight them off. So, we're going to put you in this cage…"

"Wait, I'm sorry, what?" Astrid opened the little door on the side and pushed him in. "Professor Hofferson! Are you sure this is a good idea?" Hiccup knew what was coming and wished he were wrong.

"Your first dragon: the Common Welsh Green!"

The class cheered. Easy enough for them; they weren't locked in a cage. Hiccup scanned the cage and saw a leafy green dragon blend right in with the ground it was laying on. He was relieved to see it was sleeping until it opened one eye.

"Now, Hiccup, if you ever feel uncomfortable, just come straight back through this door here. This cage is magical, so the only way you can get out is through this human-sized door, much to small for the Welsh Green." _And much too embarrassing for me,_ Hiccup thought. "So, Mister Haddock, remind yourself what you know about this dragon. Verbally. It'll let out some nerves and clear your head, as well as perhaps teach the class something new."

What was Hiccup supposed to do in this cage? Just talk about the dragon? He didn't need to be locked in there to do that. Hiccup slowly began walking toward the dragon. "T-the Common Welsh Green-" His voice cracked, and he heard snickers. "The Common Welsh Green is native to Great Britain, specifically Wales, and is, for the most part, rather calm- at least, in comparison to other breeds." If Astrid was trying to scare him away from learning about the Nighty Fury, it was working.

"What else do you know? I'm positive there's more."

Hiccup loosened his tie. "It preys mainly on small mammals like sheep and avoids human contact, but don't tease it, because… you don't need to be a Ravenclaw to figure that out." The two Ravenclaws sniggered, and Hiccup kept walking forward, mesmerized by the beautiful green scales that folded over one another, like blades of grass blown back by a summer wind.

"Hiccup-"

"The Common Welsh Green," he continued, pretending not to hear Astrid, "Is characterized by its green scales, obviously, as well as its brown eggs flecked with green speckles, and its roar, which can be considered somewhat melodious." The dragon had opened both eyes; it was still lying on the ground. Hiccup made a conscious effort to soften his steps and voice, and his body slowly turned so he was approaching the dragon sideways. His hands were held out at his sides, as if he were balancing.

Astrid shook her head. Sure, he was a seventh year, but Hogwarts students never had experience with dragons. And, sure, he was a Viking, but they fight dragons off while their villages burn down in panic. There was no way Hiccup had approached a dragon before. And there was no way Astrid could let him go on. A student dying on her first day would kind of ruin her career. Yet, she couldn't find her voice to stop him.

It was harder to tell which was greener: Hiccup's eyes or the dragon's scales. The dragon's eyes searched across Hiccup's face, as if counting all his freckles. "The dragon is also known," Hiccup continued, "to breathe narrow columns of fire." Hiccup stopped walking to raise his left hand, the closest to the dragon. He held it so that the palm faced the dragon, right in between Hiccup's and the dragon's faces. He was surprised to see it wasn't shaking.

"Nobody. Move. Nobody make a sound," Astrid said, hardly daring to breathe. But it was imperative the rest of her class heard this instruction. It was as if a Basilisk had paralyzed them all.

Hiccup held his breath. "Hey, Green. I won't hurt you." And slowly, very slowly, the dragon lurched its head forward. _It's not biting of my hand_, Hiccup thought. _Good sign_. Except Green wasn't a very good name. "C'mon, boy. C'mon…" Hiccup scanned the cage one more time. The ground was covered with green leaves that blended into 'Green's' scales. Green leaves. Leaves. Leaf. Green Leaf. "C'mon, Greenleaf." Still not very original. Hiccup racked his brain for something better.

He felt something cold press against his hand. Something scaly. Almost like the dragon nose of a Common Welsh Green.

"Greenleaf, huh? You're really going with that unoriginality?" Hiccup said softly with a chuckle. Greenleaf groaned contentedly.

Astrid shook her head. This was not discussed in the teacher-faculty meeting. She would've been better prepared if the dragon lopped Hiccup's left leg off or something.

"Good Greenleaf. C'mon, follow me." Hiccup removed his hand and walked in slow circles around the cage, his back to the dragon. And Greenleaf followed, perfectly obedient.

After a few rounds, Hiccup came to the door he entered. "Stay, boy." He didn't want his class to make fun of him and know in his murmurings he'd named a dragon like a pet. "Stay. Stay- nah-ah-ah! Stay… good boy." Hiccup locked the door behind him. The dragon just sat, staring at his new friend. Hiccup jerked his head to the side, and, by some miracle, Greenleaf got the message and trotted back to his corner to curl up for his nap.

"How many points does Hufflepuff get?" a random voice called from the back. Expecting it to be a fellow Hufflepuff, everyone gasped when they saw it was a Slytherin. "What, guys, that was amazing! That's the best thing I've seen at Hogwarts, and, believe me, I've seen about everything at this place." Hiccup just grinned. He knew, from Jack's actions, not words, that not all Slytherins came with that common terrible reputation. This Slytherin, like Jack, supported fairness and honesty like a Hufflepuff would. Slytherins aren't immune to that; they're simply stronger in different areas.

Hiccup smiled at the Slytherin, who smiled back.

"Ten points for Hufflepuff for being a brave volunteer. Fifty points for Hufflepuff for the dragon-charmer routine. I've got high expectations for you, Hiccup Haddock."

"Thank-you, Professor Hofferson." That was sixty points right there. Plus the ten he'd received at the beginning for naming the ten dragons with his sass. That made seventy points. Hiccup had just earned seventy points for Hufflepuff, and the first day wasn't over. It wasn't even noon. It wasn't even the end of his first class.

Later that day at dinner, Hiccup was filled with euphoria to see yellow gemstones, representing house points, fill the Hufflepuff Hourglass in the Great Hall, nearly tripling all the other houses'. Rubies, sapphires, and emeralds barely glazed the bottoms of the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin hourglasses respectively. Hiccup wanted to tell his friends the story during dinner, but word like that had gotten around fast.

"I've heard the story billions o' times, Hiccup, but I want to hear it straight from ye. What was it like? Were ye scared? Bloody hell, I'm a Gryffindor an' I'd have been freakin' out! Hiccup, tell me everythin'!"

"I can't tell you unless you stop asking me to tell you everything!" Hiccup laughed, but he liked the attention from Merida.

As he told the story, Rapunzel's eyes flashed as if she were memorizing every word. Hiccup noticed this, and thought she was the kind of person who would write down every extraordinary moment of her Hogwarts experience only to lend the firsthand information to the editor of _Hogwarts: A History_ for an updated version in years to come. It made Hiccup feel like dragons were fluttering in his stomach. Him, a Hogwarts historical figure, bringing glory to Hufflepuff House.

Then, he locked eyes with Merida halfway through the story and realized he didn't care what the rest of Hogwarts thought of him. Merida's pride in him made him feel like he'd trained a Night Fury instead of a Common Welsh Green.

And Hiccup couldn't pretend he didn't take a bit of pleasure in Jack's silence. If Hiccup had one flaw, it was low self-esteem and jealousy. Jack was more popular, funnier, better-looking, more charming, and better with Rapunzel than he could ever dream of being with Merida. He didn't like it, but there it was: Hiccup could get jealous of Jack. Jack could be annoying, but he was a great friend to have that Hiccup would never, ever dare to replace. And, as shameful as he felt for feeling this way, Hiccup liked for once having that one moment in the limelight. Merida, Chaser for her house Quidditch Team, is now the new Quidditch Captain for Gryffindor. Rapunzel's Head Girl. Jack's smart in all his classes without trying and always charms all the girls. Hiccup didn't have to feel like he was lagging behind his friends anymore. He was discovering his own path, which was what school was all about.

And Hiccup wished he were a girl to have an excuse for the pathetic tears that sprung to his eyes when Jack said, "Dude, I'm so proud to call you my best friend."

"Jack, you don't-"

"No, seriously, take it. I don't make sentimental comments like this often, so listen closely. You are one of the bravest guys I've ever met. It takes serious skill to be able to handle a dragon the way you did out there, and don't pretend that everyone around here isn't talking about it. We're proud of you. All the other students are proud of you. The teachers are proud of you. Dumbledore is proud of you, Hiccup, Professor Dumbledore! Training a dragon isn't easy, but you did it. You're a legendary Hogwarts hero. Now, take what you've done into prospective and use it to meet some chicks!"

Hiccup snorted. "That last part ruined the moment." Rapunzel and Merida burst with laughter. Eyeing Merida, so only Jack could hear, Hiccup whispered: "Besides, I've already met the best one."


	3. Sports, Secrets, & Searches

"Why are you outside your dormitory? Forgot the password?" Jack smirked. Merida was sitting on the ground in front of the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, which was the portrait of the Fat Lady. She scowled at Jack, who standing over her with his signature defiant grin.

"No, I'm workin' on somethin'. Too loud in the Common Room. Ye mind?"

"Not at all. What're you working on?"

Merida's eyes narrowed. "Yer tryin' to annoy me."

Jack plopped down onto the ground, sitting straight across from her. "Surprisingly, no. I'm just wondering around. I couldn't stand it in Slytherin Dormitory. They're all making fun of 'Mudbloods'."

Merida gasped. "Jack, don't say that word!"

Jack shrugged. "It's technically the true term. Pureblood. Half-blood. Muggle-born is just Mudblood. It's just, overtime, it's come to mean something… bad."

"Wonder what they'd do if they found out yer a Muggle-born."

"That's the thing. They aren't going to find out. I've pulled it off for six years; I can last one more. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but-"

"Don't ye try to fool me! I know the things Slytherins are sayin' 'bout bein' Muggle-born; they said the same stuff to me friend who's a Muggle-born in Gryffindor in me year. 'Yer not even a real witch. Ye should be locked away. Ye should be outcast and stay where ye belong in the Muggle world. I bet ye stole that wand; wands choose their masters, an' no way it'd chose ye for its master.' It's absolutely sick, Jack."

"Well, telling them I'm a Muggle-born isn't going to make any a difference. And… you didn't hear anything about how our toes and fingers should be chopped off and put in stew, did you?"

"Sorry, lad, _what_?"

"You never answered me; what're you working on?" His voice was high and fast.

Merida sighed. "I'm workin' on Quidditch tryouts for Gryffindor. As captain, I've got to lead it. It's goin' to take over an hour to go through everybody. I'm tryin' to organize the quickest way."

Jack nodded, sitting quietly. "Oh."

"So, why'd ye come here? Ye could've gone to Hiccup's dormitory or Rapunzel's."

Jack inhaled, and then froze. He dropped his gaze, which he didn't do often. Ever, in fact. "I need to talk to you about something. But don't laugh."

Merida smiled knowingly. She'd bet her money it was about Rapunzel. "Jack, ye can trust me with anythin'. I promise I won't laugh. What do ye need to talk about?"

Jack took his wand, which was made of a dull colored wood, and twirled it in his fingers. It took him a while to spit the words out, and once he did, Merida was quite surprised with his question. "I want to try out for Seeker. What do you think?"

Blinking, Merida almost laughed before remembering her promise. "Well, ye can't tryout for Gryffindor. Ye'll have to tryout for the Slytherin Team."

Jack blushed. "I'm not stupid. Of course I'm trying out for my own house. I just… well, you're a _captain_, so I thought-"

"Thought I'd train ye? Or at least, help ye out?" Jack tried a smile. "Gee, I don't know." Merida said this only to draw out Jack's anxiety. "I'm pretty good, ye know. Anyone who takes tips from me would become a master Quidditch player. An' I can't have a master Quidditch player on a team against me."

"Oh, so you're scared. Well, if that's how Gryffindors are-"

"Bring it on, Jackson Frost."

He cringed. "It's Jack."

"C'mon to the Quidditch Pitch. Let's see where yer at. I'll grab my broom and ye grab yers. Meet ye there in fifteen." Jack ran down the hall, and Merida turned to the Fat Lady. "_Leonis cor_," she recited. The Fat Lady smiled and her portrait swung open.

* * *

Merida hovered over the ground of the Quidditch Pitch on her Firebolt when Jack came sprinting in with a Nimbus 2001. "It was a gift from my friend Flynn. He finished Hogwarts last year and didn't need it anymore, so he let me have this old thing. I've always wanted to fly," Jack explained with a huge grin spread wide across his face.

Jack never had as much money as his friends did, and Merida picked up on this fairly late in their time together at Hogwarts, which made her feel terrible. She couldn't help but smile at his excitement. "That's great, Jack. Now, let's get flyin'. I want to see how fast ye can get."

Merida saw Jack could get pretty fast.

"Wow, Jack, it's like yer made to control the winds!" she shouted up at him, doubting he could even hear. "I'm goin' to release a practice Snitch. It's the same size as the one ye play with-"

"Like bewitched Ping-Pong balls with wings."

Merida blinked. "Sure. Ye ready?" He nodded emphatically. "Don't feel like ye need to catch it on yer first try. Takes practice." Jack rolled his eyes. "Ok, here ye go!" And Merida released a Snitch out into the field.

Jack kept catching flawlessly, and then tossing the Snitch back out to catch it again. Merida decided to grab a Bludger and bat and see if Jack could withstand it. "Bring it on!" He shouted, laughing.

Merida released the Bludger and flew after it, hitting it with great aim toward Jack. Jack put all his weight onto his hands and raised his body off his broomstick so that the Bludger flew right in between, grazing his Hogwarts robes. He then spiraled downward to the Snitch. "Wow, yer good!" Merida laughed, trying to hide her nerves. The Quidditch rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin had always been tense, and Merida was going to need her best flyer as a Seeker against Jack.

"C'mon, see if you can hit that thing faster!" Jack said, having released the Snitch, waiting for it to fly out of his view before trying to find it.

Merida didn't want to hit him too hard, but this was Quidditch. He was going to suffer the painful blow of a Bludger sooner or later. "Ye asked for it!"

Jack bent low onto his broom and bulleted across the Quidditch Pitch, an arm outstretched to the Snitch. Instead of trying to hit Jack, Merida decided try and hit the Snitch instead, get it out of his reach. The practice Snitch was too easy for jack, and the real playing Snitch was going to be a thousand times harder.

She swung the bat at the Bludger so hard she dropped it. Swooping down to pick the bat up, Merida glanced up just in time to see the Bludger nail Jack on the inside of his right forearm. He howled, clutching it close to him. Jack slipped sideways off his broom and caught himself just in time to hang from it with his left arm, his good arm, crooked over the broomstick at his elbow. He tried to kick his legs up wrap around the Nimbus 2001, but his grip slipped to one hand. Merida started forward to help him, reliving a painful memory where the exact thing had happened to her in her first Quidditch game in her second year, but decided that Jack needed to learn how to do this. Once he was on his broom, then she would encourage him to come down to the infirmary. If it was anything like her injury, it was probably only fractured.

Besides, Jack was never one to want help. It was a Slytherin thing; they didn't like being an inconvenience to others in their weakness and liked to persevere through tough experiences to make them stronger.

"C'mon, Jack; don't worry 'bout the Snitch. Just get back on yer broom. Ye can do it! Just keep tryin'!"

Jack's chest was heaving with difficult breaths, as he tried to calm down. There was no way he was getting back on the broom, so he bent his wrist at a slight angle. The broomstick pointed toward the ground and slowly descended. Merida wished she'd done that her second year instead of dangling until a fellow Chaser had been able to hoist her up. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Jack almost crumpled to his knees.

"Everyone gets injured in Quidditch, Jack; don't let it discourage ye! Ye've got talent! Let's take ye to the infirmary."

By the time they'd gotten back to the castle, Jack had constructed quite a poker face, carrying his broomstick in his left hand so he could shove his right hand in his pocket to keep that arm from hitting anyone. "As Rapunzel would probably say," Merida began, knowing a mention of her would cheer Jack up a bit, "At least it's a Saturday. Ye won't be missin' any class." Sure enough, Jack permitted a smile to crack at the corners of his mouth, but it didn't go all the way to his amber eyes.

When they reached the infirmary, no one was in there, except Rapunzel, who, for whatever reason, wasn't wearing her braids like she usually did. She was curled up on a bed, reading a book that had a cover identical to _Hogwarts: A History_, but was titled _Hogwarts eine Geschichte_. She would be the one read books in different languages.

Rapunzel looked up at the creaking door and smiled. "Hey, guys! Madam Pomfrey's at a teacher meeting, so I'm looking over the infirmary right now, even though no one's- Jack, what did you do to your arm?" She ran towards him. Merida noticed an ugly bruise had spread across it, hidden by the sleeves of his robes. Technically, the long white button-down shirt should have kept it hidden, but Jack always rolled the sleeves up at the elbows, so that when he shed his school robes to the floor, the horrid bruise on the inside of his forearm was hard to ignore.

Pulling him by his left arm, Rapunzel plopped him down onto a hospital bed, and with a mere touch had enough experience to judge it was definitely fractured. Jack looked exhausted and turned to Merida to explain. "We were out playin' Quidditch, 'cause Jack's aimin' to be Slytherin Seeker."

"Oh, Jack, that's a great idea!" Rapunzel gushed before glancing at his arm. "I mean… you need to be more careful out there, Jack. What were you thinking?"

Glad to see Rapunzel's efforts at being firm and castigating were cheering Jack up a bit, Merida continued. "An' I got out a Bludger to challenge to him-"

"Oh, ok, another Bludger incident." Merida didn't know if Rapunzel meant another of the many Bludger incidents she'd treated at school or if she was referring to their own Bludger incident that one summer with her brothers.

"So… what can you do for it?" Jack asked, propped up on his left elbow.

Rapunzel rocked back and forth on her feet "I can heal it quickly. Painlessly."

"Yer known for it!" Merida laughed.

"I have it right here, I know it…" Rapunzel searched the shelves pulled out a royal blue bottle. "It's going to put you to sleep while I heal your arm."

Jack flinched. "Why? Would being awake hurt?"

"No! No, it wouldn't hurt. I just… it speeds it up. It's complicated magical medical stuff I don't want to explain." Rapunzel wouldn't meet his eyes and was braiding a strand of hair unconsciously.

"Hey, I trust you," Jack said, hoping he didn't offend her. Taking the bottle, he asked, "So, do I chug this whole thing?"

"Oh, goodness, no! Just half a capful!"

"The cap's already pretty small."

"It's magic. Too much would be too bad."

Taking her word for it, Jack tried unscrewing the cap, only to realize that one good arm wasn't enough. Rapunzel sat at the side of his bed and began to carefully pour what to Merida looked like a simple sleeping draught they'd learn to make their first year. She watched Jack as he lay back on his bed to drink. He limply handed the cap back to Rapunzel, fluttering his eyes softly. Once convinced he was asleep, Merida asked in a whisper, "Is that just a sleepin' draught?" If it were, whispering wouldn't matter; Jack wouldn't wake up if the infirmary were burning down.

"Yes, but my own spin-off. It's less powerful. One half a capful is only fifteen minutes." Rapunzel stood and searched the room for a gauze wrap. "Maybe ten."

Merida wanted to be there for her friend when he woke, but she didn't want to distract Rapunzel from her work. "Do ye need any help?"

"Oh, no, but thank-you." Rapunzel gently picked up Jack's arm as if trying to get a better understanding of his injury. Pulling out a wand of golden wood, so different from Jack's, she tapped the thin braid she'd absentmindedly made earlier and it unraveled. "Do you think I could… be alone with him?"

Merida smiled. "To help ye heal him better."

"Yes."

"Sure, lass. I'll go find Hiccup an' see if he can help me with my… Herbology essay." There was no Herbology essay, but Rapunzel didn't have that class with Hiccup and Merida, so there was no need for Rapunzel to know that. Merida left the room whistling a Scottish folk song about love, a well-known tune in the DunBroch kingdom, but something Rapunzel probably had never heard of. Then again, she was a Ravenclaw, Merida thought. Better not underestimate her.

Merida closed the door to the infirmary behind her while Rapunzel drew the curtain around Jack's bed for some privacy.

* * *

She didn't need the gauze wrap for his arm, but it was safe to put it on later anyway to avoid drawing suspicion. Only Madam Pomfrey could heal a wound that quickly. Or, at least, that's what everyone thought, and Rapunzel wasn't eager to prove anyone wrong.

Madam Pomfrey wasn't close to an idiot, though, and neither were Rapunzel's friends. They all wondered how she could heal so quickly and efficiently. Rapunzel comforted herself in knowing they could never figure something this crazy out.

Rapunzel walked across the room and picked up Jack's school robe, which had a green-and-silver Slytherin patch on the left with a snake in the middle. She clutched it close and walked back over to Jack's bed, folding it neatly to provide some cushioning for his arm. That'd make it look extra realistic.

She sat on his bed beside him and wrapped her long blond hair around his right forearm three times. Just barely draping it over his arm would've been good enough, but for some reason, Rapunzel preferred wrapping her hair around injuries if possible. Poking Jack to make sure he was definitely asleep, she began her song, and her hair began glowing bright gold at the roots, traveling down her entire head.

_Flower, gleam and glow_

_Let your power shine_

_Make the clock reverse_

_Bring back what once was mine_

_Heal what has been hurt_

_Change the fates' design_

_Save what has been lost_

_Bring back what once was mine_

_What once was mine _

She technically had plenty of time before he'd wake up, but she still sang the song quickly and quietly, afraid someone would walk in before the glowing in her hair died down. Unraveling her locks, she saw the bruise completely gone, and, though she couldn't see the bones, knew his fracture mended well. She pulled the curtain back from around Jack's bed, grabbed the gauze beside her, and carefully began wrapping the arm.

Like all her patients, a warm glow brightened Jack's cheeks, and he smiled in his sleep. Rapunzel brushed his warm brown hair away from his forehead and was more tempted than ever to tell him her secret. She played the scene over thousands of times in her head. She'd tell him she had magical hair that glowed when she sang a certain song, providing healing powers. He'd laugh and joke around, saying his hair did the same, and then she'd actually prove she was serious.

There were many alternate endings for this story, though. Jack would think it was the coolest thing ever. Jack would get terrified of her. Jack would be disgusted with her. Jack would find it beautiful and fall in love with her.

No matter how many ways it played out, Rapunzel never imagined he'd tell her secret. There was no way. Most people would say that as a Slytherin, it would simply be exchanging favors. Rapunzel told no one he was Muggle-born and Jack told no one about her hair. But she knew, deep down, that whether Jack liked her simply as a friend or more, he'd never tell anyone. He was the epitome of trustworthiness.

Jack groaned at sat up slowly, opening his eyes only halfway. Rapunzel checked the clock over the door. Eleven minutes. It had seemed so much shorter. "Hey," he said with that maddening smile.

Rapunzel grinned sheepishly. "Does it feel better?"

"You did a good job healing it. I can't feel a thing."

"You might not want to get up quickly. You know, just to make sure the sleeping draught wore off."

Jack cocked his head. "Sleeping draught? That's all it was?"

"My own version. It's… simplified, less powerful. Even then, you were supposed to be out for fifteen minutes. You were only out for eleven."

"Well… I guess I'll just stay here until you let me go." Jack leaned into her, smiling. She looked away stupidly. He had to know what he was doing to her. "So… Rapunzel, how was your first week at school?"

"I managed not to fracture my arm, so I'd say it was pretty good," she lied, smiling back at Jack. He raised his eyebrows knowingly, concern suppressed in his eyes. "I got a letter by Owl Post from my mother."

"Your mom writes you with Owl Post?"

"Yeah."

"She's a Muggle."

"Yeah. Don't your parents-"

"Nah. My owl won't let them tie letters on him. Weird, huh? But, anyway, I'm guessing the letter isn't good."

"She wants to take me out of Hogwarts."

"What? No! She can't do that! You're staying here with me! …And Merida and Hiccup!" Jack looked redder than the scarlet in Merida's Gryffindor tie.

"She wants to keep me safe. That's why she agreed to send me here in the first place, but now, she thinks we should move, so-"

"Rapunzel, I'm worried about you. What's this safe talk all about? Why would keeping you here away from your mother be safe, and then all of sudden, keeping you with her away from Hogwarts is safer? Please tell me." Jack took her hand, and she might have as well been under the Imperius Curse.

Rapunzel glanced at her foreign copy of _Hogwarts: A History_ and unknowingly said in its vernacular, "Ich habe magische haar… wenn ich singe glüht."

"I'm sorry, what?"

She spoke to him in German. Maybe she needed to stop reading _Hogwarts eine Geschichte._ "I have… I have magical hair that glows when I sing." As soon as she let the secret slip, she wished she hadn't, but at the same time, felt a burden lift. Her feelings were so confusing.

What was even more confusing was how Jack didn't tease her, gawk over her, or even ridicule her, but looked at her with curiosity and concern. "Is this a wizard thing passed from your dad?"

Jack accepted her like that, no change made to their relationship. That seemed to Rapunzel like the best outcome possible. "Maybe. My mother never explained. When I sing a certain song, it glows and heals people. If I cut it, it looses its power. I know… because someone tried before." She pulled back her long blond locks to reveal a brunette strand that didn't even hit her shoulders. Jack let go of her hand, reached forward, and twisted the strand gently. "It turns its natural color and doesn't grow back. Someone tried to steal it when I was a baby, and my mother kept me hidden in a tower for my entire life. It's beautiful, really, a tall tower in the middle of a glen hidden in the forest."

"I'm trying to imagine your dad with long, luscious, magical blond hair." There was good ole Jack, saying something to make her laugh and take pressure off the situation. "But why did you leave her to come to school? Why was that safer?"

Rapunzel shrugged. "My magic's protected by the school's magic, I guess."

"Then why is your mom trying to take you away?" Jack murmured, finally dropping the brunette strand so similar to his own hair. His eyes met her own once more, and Rapunzel fought to look him in the eye instead of glancing away bashfully. Blinking a few times, she lost and glanced down at her hands.

"I don't know why Mother wants to take me at the beginning of my final year of education. She seemed pretty distressed when she wrote that letter. Mother can't come to Hogwarts to get me because the only way for her is to be assisted by magic… board the Hogwarts Express, which won't be making any trips anytime soon; Side-Along Apparition; riding a broomstick, if Muggles can… the only way for me to go home is on my accord."

"Couldn't she tell Dumbledore to see you home?"

"She wouldn't; he would ask questions. He doesn't know about my hair. Well, Professor Dumbledore knows everything, so I wouldn't be shocked if he knew, but you're the only one I've told, so I don't see it possible."

"I'm the only one, huh?" Jack smiled. Rapunzel finally found the strength to hold his gaze. Jack slowly reached forward, she guessed to take her hand once more, but the door to the infirmary swung open.

"Merida told me Jack got hurt; is he ok?" Hiccup ran toward them, too panicked to pick up on Jack's retreating hand.

"I'm fine, bro, thanks. I just woke up. When will I be able to take off the wrap?" Jack asked Rapunzel with a perfectly constructed poker face.

"Oh… tomorrow morning should be good. I'm going to find Madam Pomfrey," she lied.

When Rapunzel grabbed her German book, she caught Hiccup's face of bewilderment. "Is that _Hogwarts: A History_ in another language?"

"Yes."

"Is there different information in there or something?" Hiccup asked, looking just curious at first, but after the words slipped out, he seemed to process their meaning and looked interested.

"I'm still looking," she said with a smile. "All the foreign language books are in the library's Restricted Section, which kind of got me wondering if other countries knew something about Hogwarts the school's hiding from the students. There's nearly every European language possible! It took forever for me to convince Librarian Pince to let me check them out, but she has a soft spot for Ravenclaws. This is my first foreign copy."

Rapunzel turned, her blond hair swishing behind her, and left the infirmary.

"Well? What 'hidden information' do you want to get your hands on?" Jack said to Hiccup, pulling his school robes back over himself. They'd waited a few minutes after Rapunzel had left the infirmary so she wouldn't reprimand Jack and make him rest before going to the library. "And do you even read another language?"

"One: Old Norse. The island Berk is off of Norway. I'm a Viking, remember?"

"Ok, so you know Norse and English, Merida knows Gaelic and English, Rapunzel knows… everything, and I know only one language. Yeah. I'm pathetic."

"No, you're not. You just didn't grow up in a multi-lingual society."

"Is that really what it's called?"

"I'm not sure if that's the right title, but lots of places are multi-lingual."

"Wait a minute." Jack froze and stuck his right arm out, stopping Hiccup.

Hiccup ran into Jack's newly healed arm hard. Jack didn't even flinch. _Rapunzel must be a good healer_, Hiccup thought. "What?"

"We need a game plan."

"For what?"

"How to steal the book from the library! It's in the Restricted Section! You need teacher permission to go there."

"Or librarian permission." Hiccup pushed Jack's arm down and kept walking. Jack sped up after him.

"So you're just going to ask?"

"I have a way with teachers."

"What are you going to say?"

"I'll just wing it. That always works better for me than strategizing. Oh, and you asked what kind of 'hidden information' I'm looking for. If that information is in a foreign book, it's going to be in a Norse book."

"I hate it when you get dramatic, Hiccup. What are you looking for?"

"There's lots of stuff in _Hogwarts: A History_ regarding classes, including Care of Magical Creatures. When I looked in the English version, it mentioned all the creatures we studied, right down to the specific purebred dragons. It never mentioned the eleventh purebred." Meeting Jack's confused gaze, he clarified the purebred-crossbred thing. "There are ten principal purebred dragons that crossbreed to make all other species. There's an eleventh purebred that doesn't crossbreed, so it's hardly ever mentioned. It's also extremely rare. I only know about it because of the dragon attacks at Berk. It's called a Night Fury, and it flies so fast it just looks like a streak of light. It also blows up little things, like entire islands."

"Ok, I can see why the Norse version would be the book to have something about Night Furies. But you sound like you know everything there is to know about them."

"That's all anyone knows back home. I was thinking… dragons are part of the magic world. If I'm going to find anything new about Night Furies, it'll be where magic and Norse come together."

They swung the doors of the library open, and Hiccup walked straight up to Librarian Pince. "The direct approach isn't going to work!" Jack hissed one last time.

"Madam Pince?"

Her severe, strict face softened when she saw Hiccup and hardened when her gaze rested on Jack. "Can I help you with something?"

Hiccup glanced at Jack, who gave him a see-I-told-you-teachers-hate-me look. Hiccup cleared his throat. "I was wondering if you had any new books about magical creatures I could check out."

"No, Mister Haddock, but rest assured you'd be the first I'd notify if I had a new shipping. Is that all?"

Hiccup pretended the idea stumbled upon him. "Actually, do you have any Old Norse books for light reading? I get kind of homesick my first few weeks at Hogwarts- I live on a Viking island off of Norway- but I would think all your books would be English, because I've never seen otherwise."

Librarian Pince glanced at Jack. "And what do you need?"

"Nothing. I'm with him."

"You may be excused."

Both boys took this as a sign Madam Pince was about to trust something to Hiccup that couldn't be trusted to Jack. Exchanging knowing glances, Hiccup waved as Jack swaggered out of the library.

The librarian leaned in close and whispered, "If there are any Old Norse books, they'd be in the restricted section. If you're not looking for anything in particular, I'd feel most comfortable with you taking the Norse translation of _Hogwarts: A History_. It might be the only Old Norse book I have. Would you like me to fetch it for you?"

Hiccup couldn't believe his luck. Five minutes later, he met Jack outside with _Hogwarts Sögu_. "It's technically Icelandic, but I'm sure it'll suffice. Icelandic is the closest modern language to Old Norse."

"Can you read Icelandic?"

"I flipped through; if I don't know the word, the context makes it fairly easy to figure out. Reading Icelandic from knowing Old Norse is a lot easier than you'd think."

Jack shrugged, and they made their way down to the Hufflepuff Dormitory in the basement. Arriving at a stack of barrels, Hiccup tapped a rhythm with his wand on the barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row. The lid opened. "Welcome to the coziest dorm of them all. I'm sure much better than Slytherin Dungeon," Hiccup laughed.

Jack made a face, and Hiccup read from it that he was right. Not many people were in the Common Room, but Hiccup still ignored the few that gave dirty looks toward the Slytherin and hoped Jack was doing the same.

Hiccup sat in a comfortable chair by the fireplace and Jack at his feet. Flipping through the table of contents, Hiccup found the section on Care of Magical Creatures. "Ok. 'Rannsókn á dreka'. Study of Dragons," he muttered. After a few minutes, Hiccup kicked Jack and hissed fiercely, "There's nothing on Night Furies in here!"

Mad at the kick, Jack sarcastically pulled out his wand and pointed it at the book. "_Accio hidden information about the Nighty Fury."_

Hiccup sighed and was about to slam the book shut when the words on the pages started to fade. Actually, they weren't doing anything at all. The pages were turning black like the ink of the print. Bold white font sat on the black pages in Old Norse. Most of the information, Hiccup already knew. But there was something he'd never heard before…

"I found something! 'Nótt heift gerir Tjaldvagnar hennar í trjám. Það sefur aðeins í dimma klukkustund í nótt. Þetta gerir það erfitt að finna'!"

"Dude."

"Sorry. I got excited. It says, 'The Night Fury makes her camp in trees. It sleeps only in the darkest hour of the night. This makes it difficult to find'!" Hiccup slammed the book shut. "Jack, we should camp in the Forbidden Forest together!"

Of course, Jack's first instinct was to look around and make sure no one overheard that. "Bro, not cool! There's people in here!"

But Hiccup was already heading up to his room and came out shortly with an overnight bag. "I'm ready."

"For what?"

"I'm spending a night in the Forbidden Forest to find a Night Fury."

"You were serious? No way! You can't just tame a Night Fury the same way a Welsh Green. These dragons are secret for a reason. They're dangerous!"

"Chill, man, you don't have to come. In fact, more people would be worse."

"You're crazy, Hiccup. Insane."

"I'm not even trying to train it! I just want observe it! Sketch a graph of it!"

"Why do you need to do that?"

"It'll help my people at Berk."

"You are a Viking chief's son, aren't you?"

Hiccup wasn't sure if this was a compliment or sarcasm, so he just ignored it. "It's not like I'm definitely going to find it. The darkest hour of the night conceals it!"

"Whoa; how do you know the person who wrote the Norse/Icelandic/whatever translation isn't just trying to get people killed?" Jack said, desperately looking for any form of logic to make Hiccup think twice.

Hiccup held the cover up to Jack. "Look! 'Þýðing: Valhallarama Amundsen'. That means 'Translation by: _my mother_'. 'Amundsen' was her maiden name."

Jack shook his head. "Isn't that a common name Norwegian name?" he guessed.

Hiccup glowered at Jack. "The translation was published just a couple years before I was born. _And_ it's a first edition. There's no way there had been another Viking witch who shared the same name as my mom who lived at the same time as my mom." Straightening, Hiccup said with a determined nod, "I'm going to finish her studies of the Night Fury."

Jack followed Hiccup out of the barrel back into the kitchen corridor. "Dude… ok, I believe you. But it's still dangerous. Are you sure it's such a good idea to camp in the Forbidden Forest? It's kind of 'forbidden', in case you didn't pick up on it."

"Jack, stop, I'll be fine."

"Why would a dragon even be here? They attack people who live on islands!"

"We're at a magic school. I'm just hoping dragons are drawn to magic. And Night Furies don't actually attack people, just small islands. People happen to be on that island; that's all. So my best guess is that they're attracted to magic."

"If they're attracted to magic, why would they go to your island? You're the only Viking at this school, Hiccup, think straight!"

"They have a nest nearby is my best guess. We're probably the closest island to the nest, so they steal our livestock. Just leave me alone!"

Jack gave up and left, shaking his head. Hiccup slung the bag over his shoulder and angrily stomped through the empty halls, head down. He hated fighting with Jack, but it happened often. They were so different, but that just made them closer friends. That also made them have arguments more often than other best friends did.

"Oomph!" Hiccup said, nearly dropping his bag. He'd run into somebody.

"Oi! Watch where yer- Hiccup? Sorry, I didn't know it was ye. What's the bag for?" Merida's blue eyes sparkled, and she brushed some wild red hair out of her face.

"I- I'm camping in the Forbidden Forest to find a Nighty Fury." He explained everything that had happened to Merida in a hushed tone. "Don't tell anybody, ok?"

"Only if ye let me come with ye."

"_What_?" Hiccup knew he should've expected this from carefree Merida.

"Sounds like fun! Campin' in the Forbidden Forest, breakin' rules, this is me thing, Hiccup. Besides, who's goin' to help ye break out of the castle after hours?"

"I was actually planning on leaving dinner early. Tomorrow's Sunday, so we won't have to worry about a teacher noticing our absence or getting up on time for class."

"I'm in."


	4. Dragons & Detention

Merida hoped Hiccup would assume that it was just in her adventurous nature to want to camp out in dangerous conditions to look for dragons. Part of that was the reason. She also wanted some alone time with Hiccup, but she didn't want him figuring that out. Watching the early autumn sunset after dinner on a black-and-yellow checkered quilt with the boy you like beside you seemed like a great way to end the week.

"The summer heat's still with us," Hiccup observed. "It shouldn't get too cold tonight, but you still brought a scarf?"

Merida nodded. "An' some coffee." She pulled a thermos out of her bag and passed it over to Hiccup. "If we're aimin' to stay up until the wee darkest hour…"

"Brilliant." She passed him a cup, and he poured some and drank instantly.

"Not already tired, are ye?"

"Of course not. Precautionary. You take some, too." Chuckling, Merida followed his example. They sat in silence, for the most part, drinking coffee and searching the trees. An hour passed. Two. Three. The gradual darkness helped their eyes adjust accordingly. Soon, a crescent of a moon provided the only light.

"Are ye sure we shouldn't do _lumos_ an' provide some light with our wands?" Merida asked.

Hiccup shook his head. "I don't want anything to prevent the Night Furies from camping in these trees. If they're here." He sounded disheartened.

Merida put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure ye'll see one. If not tonight, maybe next weekend. Ye've got to finish yer mom's research. If any one can do it, it's ye."

They sat together and waited a few more hours. Normally, silence that long would be awkward, but she found herself feeling totally comfortable around Hiccup. The starry night would have been romantic if they could see it beyond the leafy canopy of the trees.

Hiccup glanced up at the sky. Merida didn't know if it was a Viking thing or what, but Hiccup had a knack for telling the time by the location of the sun or moon in the sky. "The darkest hour of the night's already begun a while ago."

"Maybe they're sleepin' in trees away from us."

"Or Jack was right. There are no Night Furies here."

"Shh! Keep yer voice down. They may still come!"

Merida tried to keep her face bright and optimistic, but she had a feeling Hiccup had given up. Adrenaline that had rushed through him upon reading the book by his mother and had long since faded. She didn't want to bring up his mother again in fear of upsetting or pressuring him. "I'm sorry, Merida, but I don't think I'm going to find a Night Fury this way. I should've thought this out more logically. C'mon. I need to get you back to the castle. It's cold out here."

"Hiccup, ye know I don't mind." But Merida didn't want to play dumb with his implication of leaving. Grabbing her sack, she scampered after him. "Besides, do ye even know the way out in the dark? I don't know me way in the Forbidden Forest in daylight!"

"I've been out here for Care of Magical Creatures ever since third year. Don't worry; I know what I'm doing. Just stay quiet."

"For Night Furies?" Merida hoped for a second Hiccup hadn't given up.

"No, for anything else that may be around the forest. It's dangerous enough in the day; the forest can be life-threatening at night."

"Bloody good. Let's be keepin' our voices low and feet quiet." Merida stayed close to Hiccup as she traipsed through the forest. They had been journeying for fifteen minutes when they came to some lake or pond. Merida didn't recognize the new landmark. Nonetheless, it was beautiful, trees surrounding it at every edge.

"I don't know," Hiccup replied to Merida's unasked question. "I could've sworn this was the way…"

"_Lumos_," Merida chanted, and the tip of her wand lit up. She gasped. "Hiccup…"

And sitting on the branches of the thinnest tree across the pond was a slick, black dragon with huge wings and a rounded face. It snored with its mouth wide open. Hiccup made a confused face. "It's toothless."

Merida whacked him on the arm. This was what Hiccup was searching for, what he'd always longed to learn about, and what she was sure he'd lost nights of sleep over. "Well? Hiccup, it's yer Night Fury!"

That snapped him out of it. He shuffled through his bag in search for a parchment notebook and what looked like a pen of charcoal instead of a usual quill. He flipped through what Merida saw as exceptionally prodigious scale drawings of many dragons. A blank layout was at the very end of the book, already labeled "Night Fury".

"I can't believe you found it!" His hand was already flying across the page. "I love you, Merida!" Merida blushed. It was an offhanded comment and he meant it in the most sisterly sense, but it still warmed her right to her toes. Hiccup didn't seem to notice any other meaning behind what he said, so Merida knew his words hadn't been more than a fleeting euphoric cry.

Merida sat down next to him at the shore of the lake and picked up a tiny twig, making ripples in the water as she poked the surface. Glancing over at Hiccup's drawing, she wondered how he could get so accurate with every detail. "Yer really talented, Hiccup."

"Hmm? Oh, thanks!" His green eyes were brighter than any of the stars that were visible over the hole in the forest canopy over the lake. A silvery crescent moon that looked like a mere scratch in the sky seemed to add a magic glow. She closed her eyes and leaned back under its bright subtle warmth. Before she knew it, Hiccup tapped on her shoulder. "Does this look accurate to you?"

Merida knew it did, but she wanted to take a good look at his artwork anyway. "Yep, Hiccup. Even if I'd never seen a Night Fury, I'd be able to tell what yer drawin' is. Ye really know how to capture its likeness."

"Good." He snapped the notebook shut, and, almost as if completing one fluid motion, the dragon opened its eyes and gazed straight at Merida and Hiccup. For a moment, Merida feared it would attack, but it just leapt off its branch and flew like a bullet of light into the darkness. Merida was frozen with relief that it didn't attack. Two _stupefy_ charms wouldn't have been enough to stop it. Hiccup just made a diagram of its takeoff and grumbled how he couldn't watch its flight patterns at that speed. "Ok, now we should get going," he said, grabbing Merida's wrist and dragging her through the forest. "It might have gone off to get some friends to attack."

"Why couldn't it have just flown off for a better bed? It just had to have a gatherin' o' friends, eh?"

"Let's stay safe and get out of here."

"Wait- how are we goin' to get back inside the castle?"

That stopped Hiccup in his tracks. "We- we'll go to Hagrid's hut."

"Hagrid? He doesn't teach here anymore since that new Care of Magical Creatures teacher came at the beginnin' o' the year. He'd asked Professor Dumbledore for a year of leave to watch over his brother, Grawp."

"He wouldn't mind us borrowing his hut for the rest of the night, would he?"

"Knowin' him, he'd want us to share it with a pet Night Fury."

Hiccup smiled knowingly. "You're still mad about the spiders?"

"Aragog nearly killed me!"

"That was third year, Merida. If you don't come with me, the Night Fury's going to kill you!" Merida grudgingly took his hand, and together, they sprinted through the forest. The apprehension of a dragon attack seemed to sharpen Hiccup's directional senses, and they soon emerged from the forest.

"I wish Hogwarts would allow Apparitin'; we could o' gotten out o' the forest much faster, don't ye think?" Merida grumbled.

"Don't slow down! We're almost there!"

Hiccup swung the entrance open to the hut, and the two of them literally collapsed to the floor, the door swinging shut behind them. They looked up at one another to smile and had just begun to stand when a gruff voice shouted, "_Petrificus Totalus_!"

Merida collapsed to the floor once more, unable to move or speak. Her heartbeat and steady breath seemed like too much motion for her shell of a body. Hiccup, likewise, crumpled beside her in the same state.

"Oi!" the same gruff voice called. "What're ye doin' out o' the castle at night? My, 'iccup, is that ye?" Merida finally recognized the voice as Hagrid's. "Well, I'll be darned! Who's yer friend? Oi, ye can't answer me, can ye? Guess I'll just wait 'til yer curse lifts. I should get Prof'ser Dumbledore… but I don' want ye ter run off if I don' get back in time."

Finally, the curse wore off, and Hagrid gave his favorite student from Care of Magical Creatures a cup of tea. Merida wasn't all that offended, because by the look on Hiccup's face, it tasted terrible. She didn't know how to start the whole story, but Hagrid probably wanted to hear it from Hiccup anyway. "Then we ran in here," Hiccup finished, holding the tea close for warmth. "I thought you were going to be away with Grawp!"

"Ah, Grawp." Hagrid's eyes lit up with caring. "The wee young'un… only sixteen feet, mind ye… well, I felt terrible leavin' him- we've been together all summer, 'iccup, he's been gettin' more an' more tame- but I had ter stop somewhere ter get some food. We were so close ter Hogwarts I just had ter stop by an' pick up rations. It was easier than scroungin' fer food out in the wild world. He's righ' outside, gotta get back ter him… say hi ter Dumbledore fer me! An'… feel free ter use my bookshelf fer yer class, 'iccup. Care of Magical Creatures NEWTs can sure be tough!"

Hagrid clomped out. "Why aren't we in trouble?" Hiccup asked, bewildered.

"Told ye; he probably wants us to keep a dragon as pet! He loves monsters- huge dogs, huge spiders, an' huge dragons! I'd bet ye he's got a Night Fury book on his bookshelf he's implyin' ye read to train that dragon"

"I don't know how to train dragons!"

Merida groaned. Hiccup didn't seriously need to be reminded of the day with the Welsh Green. She dragged a kitchen chair over to the wall of books to be able to reach the rickety old shelf. Her finger ran along the spines of many novels.

"What are you looking for?"

"Nothin' in particular. But this here's a good one to start with." Merida tossed a thick black book down to Hiccup that read _How to Train Your Dragon_ in bold brown font across the front.

"You're kidding me."

"Aha! Here's somethin' for ye!" She tossed down a slim green book with an embossed gold title reading _The Eleventh Purebred Dragon: The Night Fury_.

"Merida! We're not all brave Gryffindors, you know!" That got her to stop. "Don't you think studying the deadliest purebred dragon in person is a little intimidating, much less training it? I don't think I'm up for this!"

"Hiccup, trainin' a dragon isn't 'bout bravery or bein' darin'." Merida didn't really believe her own words, but she hoped to motivate Hiccup. "It's 'bout connectin' with the beast. It's 'bout carin' for the beast. It's 'bout patience an' gentleness." Merida, quite honestly, thought the only way to train a dragon was to intimidate it with your wand, but she had to get Hiccup to try. "If anyone can do it, ye can." That last part, Merida felt with full confidence was the absolute truth.

There was silence for a few minutes. Hiccup's unreadable eyes met hers. "What other books can you find?"

Merida smiled and tumbled any book that had to do with dragons off of Hagrid's bookshelf. She knew some of them may not be much help, but she didn't want to risk overlooking one. She also had a feeling these books held dangerous information about dragons and the library probably didn't carry them to protect the students.

Intuition like that just gave Merida a warm and fuzzy feeling.

* * *

Jack smiled as the Owl Post came in during breakfast. He never had any letters, because he knew no one who understood the concept outside of Hogwarts. But Flynn Rider promised to write at the end of his last year. Jack snagged a letter with his name on it as soon as the owl landed within reach, knowing it was from his friend one year above him.

There was no envelope, just a scrappy old folded paper with rips and tears. Jack unfolded and read the letter quickly, yet thoroughly, not wanting to miss anything.

_Jack,_

_Sorry I didn't have a proper envelope to mail you with; it was already hard enough to snag a random school owl, much less proper postage supplies._

_I'm out on the run right now; but, technically, it's not "on the run", because I'm of age, not only in the wizard world, but the Muggle world as well. Guess you could say I'm a hobo. I've returned to the kingdom I grew up in as a little boy, hoping to find something I could do for work as a twenty-year-old. Sure, there are plenty of options, but I don't want to do something just to earn money to live. I want to be doing something wild with my life, something to make my name known, you know?_

_I've met these two guys who call themselves the Stabbington Brothers. They seem like they've got a good way to make a living- and by a living, I mean money as well as an adventurous life. But I'm still keeping my options open before I decide what I want to do._

_Anyway, that's all that's going on with me. What about you?_

_Flynn Rider_

The Stabbington Brothers. Jack wondered if that was a business name or if the guys were really brothers. It could've been both, for all Jack knew. It wasn't like Jack's life was anything more interesting. He ate breakfast. He slept through all his classes. He ate lunch. He slept through all his classes. He ate dinner. He stayed up all night partying with the other Slytherins who didn't care about school. And then it started all over.

Sure, he had interesting things in his life, like Rapunzel's magic hair and Hiccup's dragon quest, but the last thing he needed was for Flynn to continue making fun of Hiccup or to repeatedly dwell on how "hot" he thought Rapunzel was. Then there was the little thing where Jack wouldn't betray her trust if his life depended on it.

Jack decided not to write back until he actually had something interesting to write about. By the end of the day, though, he was well equipped.

"Ah, Mister. Frost, I see you're late again."

Head down, Jack trudged to his seat in Defense Against the Dark Arts, located in the very front. Pitch wasn't asking for an excuse, but Jack, being a nice guy, decided to give him one. "I forgot my essay on Aurors. I had to head back to my dorm to get it."

"_Sir_," Pitch's correcting voice dripped for the billionth time.

Jack couldn't help himself. "There's no need to call me 'sir'."

The entire class gasped, as if punched in the gut. Pitch folded his hands behind his back and walked over to Jack, who was still in the aisle on the way to his desk, and leaned over him. Jack couldn't help but smile defiantly. Pitch was the Head of Slytherin House, and he wasn't going to take house points from Jack, who belonged to the Pitch's own house. Sure, Jack was going to get some punishment, but it wasn't going to affect anyone else but him. Jack wanted all Pitch's punishments to pile onto him to show Pitch that Jack Frost couldn't be broken.

Pitch's hand flew behind Jack's head and, grabbing a fistful of hair, painfully dragged Jack the rest of the way to his desk. "Detention tonight, Frost. After your last class." That was right before dinner, and Jack had a feeling he wasn't going to get anything to eat in the evening. Pitch threw Jack into his seat and outstretched a flat, gray hand with spindly fingers. "Your essay."

Jack handed him the parchment and watched Pitch rip it right down the middle before dropping it to the floor. Jack was already in pain from Pitch grabbing him by the hair like that, and now furious at Pitch for destroying his hard work. He actually felt a lump climb in his throat but attacked it before tears could rise as well.

"Do we have an understanding on respecting our elders?" Pitch's voice rang throughout the entire class, addressing mainly Jack, but every other student as well. Jack assumed, by the silence, feeble nodding undulated through the classroom, but he couldn't tell because his head was bent low, a defiant and embarrassed message complete with crossed arms. "And, Frost." Pitch bent down over Jack's desk and began loudly whispering in mock privacy. "Quite frankly, I don't want to spend another second with you that I don't have to. I will arrange a detention with the Headmaster. Meet him outside his office tonight. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," Jack grumbled back. "_Sir_."

Jack meant that last part to tease Pitch, but if he picked up on it, he didn't show. "Wonderful. Now, class, please open your textbooks to page 394…"

While relieved he didn't have to spend any extra time with Pitch, Jack wasn't anxious to spend a detention with Dumbledore. Disappointing an authority like Dumbledore didn't really make any goodhearted teen's bucket list. Even though the Headmaster technically didn't know him, Jack, like every other sane student, had an urge to impress the greatest, noblest wizard of the modern day.

Later that evening, Jack slipped away from his Slytherin gang on their way to dinner and headed to the Headmaster's office. He'd snuck around the castle in search for new secret passages enough times the past six years to know it was located past the guard of a gargoyle that moved aside to reveal a staircase at the mere uttering of a password.

Standing awkwardly, Jack shoved his hands into his pockets and began to rock back and forth on the balls of his feet. The grumbling of his stomach aroused the thought that he was making Professor Dumbledore miss dinner too. That didn't make him feel any better.

"Ah, Jackson Frost, is it?"

Dumbledore appeared at the end of the hall, walking merrily and briskly to where Jack was standing. Jack could never bring himself to correct this one man on his name, so he just went with it. "Yes."

"I remember you from your sorting six years ago. You were the lad who threw the hat to the floor because it could talk inside your head?" Dumbledore chuckled.

"It came as quite a shock to me," Jack politely defended.

"Understandable. Muggle-born, I assumed. Magic must have been most unsettling to you, or at least quite startling. I must admit I was quite surprised at your being placed into Slytherin. Nonetheless, you are doing astounding in your house and studies."

"I'm in detention," Jack stressed. "Sir," he added, remembering why he was here. Jack jumped in surprise when the gargoyle slid aside to reveal a staircase- the staircase to the Headmaster's office. Closing his eyes, Jack blushed. "Correct me if I'm wrong; 'sir' was the password?"

Dumbledore's eyes gleamed, but Jack wasn't at all offended. He felt like he could relate to the Headmaster in his devious streak. When Dumbledore waved a hand forward, Jack took the gesture to head up the stairs first. Upon entering the office, Jack took a seat across what he assumed was the Headmaster's desk, which Dumbledore settled behind. "Now, Jack, tell me everything that happened between you and Professor Pitch."

Jack retold the story exactly how it happened, except he slightly downplayed Pitch's corporal punishment to avoid looking like a wimp. "So, what's my punishment?"

"Having your essay discarded seems fair enough a consequence, but I don't think a consequence was as necessary in this instance as was an understanding."

"Are you serious?" Jack couldn't help blurting. "I worked so hard-"

"As did Professor Pitch." Dumbledore folded his hands across his desk. "He worked hard for his reputation and respect among staff and students, which you have learned can be torn by an involuntary reflex, even by those below you."

"So… ripping my essay was symbolism?"

"Ah. I did not catch that. Perhaps so. Perhaps it was the heat of the moment. Regardless, I feel that the problem isn't your words, but your relationship."

Jack slumped, and he knew, with his arms draped limply over the arms of the chair, he must've looked pretty insolent. "Is this a counseling session?"

"No; this is school. We learn things. Sometimes, learning isn't unveiling new things, but digging deeper into the known. Do you understand?"

"Yes." A little white lie wouldn't hurt Jack.

"What brought you to turn a little… cheeky, if you will, to Professor Pitch? Why does it bother you to call your authorities 'sir'? Or is that an unrelated problem?"

"I don't have a problem with calling authorities 'sir', unless they're females."

"Are you referring to Professor Pitch as-?"

"Oh, no, no sir, I didn't- that came out totally wrong. I'm going to start over."

"Indeed; that would be the optimum here."

Jack inhaled. "I don't have a problem addressing an authority by an appropriate title to respect them. But what if I can't consider them an authority?"

"You know what my next question would be."

"The reason why is… well, an authority is someone who leads others. The reason a teacher is an authority here at Hogwarts is because they lead the students to become greater wizards and witches. With… Professor Pitch,"- Jack had to catch himself to give the appropriate title to his superior- "I don't feel he has that same respect for the students. An adult doesn't need to bow to the whims of children, understandable, but I still think we should be respected as people, not animals." Jack wanted to continue to justify his reasoning, but judging by the look on Dumbledore's face, he wasn't entirely sure if it would help or hurt his case.

"I cannot see why Professor Pitch would have a reason to respect you."

"Did you know he had Dementors on the train here?" Jack had no idea why he blurted that. Probably because he was desperate for something incriminating against Pitch. Dumbledore's silence either implied Jack had gotten himself in more trouble or had pointed out something really important. Or Dumbledore was just searching for the right words.

"I don't know exactly why, but I was aware that Professor Pitch had wanted Dementors on the train for some regard toward student safety."

"I nearly got my soul sucked out."

"And this is why you feel such a loathing toward your professor." Dumbledore spread his hands and smiled, as if he'd finally landed on the problem. But Jack knew it had existed long before the train incident. Pitch didn't like Jack for… something, and Jack didn't like Pitch because Pitch mistreated him. Dumbledore was going to have to discuss this with Pitch to get to the bottom of this, if it was that important. Eager to get the counseling over with, Jack nodded as if the sudden revelation cleared everything. "Well, I still cannot see that rationalizing your behavior, which I am obligated to say as a Headmaster. However, as a defiant boy myself, I say you got him good."

Jack chuckled at Dumbledore's sudden youthful streak, who'd, in return, had let out an elderly, endearing dry cackle. "So what's the 'understanding' you've deemed more important for me to get from this deal than a punishment?" Jack asked.

"Never let cycles control you. Control the cycles, Jackson! Instead of smarting off at someone out of revenge, change the current by going out of your way to make amicable gestures! This is important to learn in life. Do you understand me?"

Jack did, and thought it was pretty good advice, but also thought there were many situations where this solution wouldn't work. "I understand you, sir."

"Good, my boy. Now, for your first amicable gesture, I think it would be appropriate for you to deem upon yourself your own consequence."

"You want me to punish myself?"

"No, I merely believe you should take action, as to solve some difficulties."

"Are you just trying to get me to organize your bookshelf or something?"

"Mighty kind offer, my Jackson! If you wouldn't mind, I would find that quite accommodating. Now, I must get going." And with that, Dumbledore left the office.

"You're freaking kidding me!" Jack half-yelled, even though no one could hear him. Dumbledore's trickery just made Jack respect him all the more, but that didn't mean Jack wasn't fairly annoyed. "How am I even supposed to…? Whatever." Jack moved behind the desk to the mahogany bookshelf. He then began wasting hours away alphabetizing books by author, and when he finished those, saw much shelf room had been cleared. A few hatboxes cluttered the floor, labeled "bookshelf". Jack could only assume he was supposed to organize the books inside.

After all, all of them were filled with books… except the last one.

Jack double-checked the lid, which was indeed labeled "bookshelf", regardless of its irrelevant contents. Inside was a cloak. The cloak was… old; there was no other way to describe it. It was certainly worn in, but it seemed inexplicably strong and powerful. Jack picked it up by a sleeve and tried to rip the fabric a slight bit. Applying more and more pressure, he found it impossible. Jack stood up in front of the mirror a few feet from the bookshelf. "_Accio_ _cloak_."

Nothing happened. "_Accio cloak_!" Still, nothing.

"_Accio_ _hatbox_." All the empty hatboxes across the room flew at him. Grumbling, Jack cleaned up his mess before shoving his wand carelessly into his back pocket, picking up the cloak the Muggle way. He screamed as his hand disappeared.

"What the-?" Jack dropped the cloak and his hand came back. No way, he thought, there's no way…

Jack picked up the cloak and slid it over himself. Heading over to the mirror, he half-laughed, half-gasped. The cloak rendered the wearer invisible. Jack slipped out of the cloak, shook his head, and folded it in the same sloppy manner he'd found it.

Approaching the hatbox to store the cloak once more, Jack found a piece of parchment stuck by static to the bottom of the box. With effort, Jack's nimble fingers pried it from the bottom. Unfolding and turning it over in confusion, Jack saw it was completely blank.

"Oh, Mister Frost!" Dumbledore entered the office. Jack dropped the parchment back into the box. "You are still here, I see. Ah, those hatboxes. I did not mean for you to have to- but you have already found it, I see."

The cloak was draped over Jack's left forearm, so Jack's left arm looked like it stopped at the elbow. "I thought it was filled with books, honest. I was just putting it away, I swear!"

Dumbledore looked like he didn't believe a word Jack said. Adults never did. "Jackson, I am not trying to accuse you of anything, but why did you take it out to begin with? The cloak, I mean?"

"Sir, I swear, I didn't, I…" Jack had nothing to say. "I wanted to try on the cloak, that's all, and I'm sorry, and I don't think there's a problem with me looking at a blank piece of parchment!" Jack motioned to the paper he'd dropped back inside

"Jackson Frost, I'm not upset with you, just tell the truth."

"That is the truth!" Jack tried to stand up, but he tripped over the lid of the box and ended up falling into the hatbox on his butt. "It's like you're trying to get me to confess to something, to say something like 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good'!"

Jack's wand was still in his back pocket, and he felt a familiar surge that ensued when he cast a spell. Jack stood up out of the hatbox and looked at Dumbledore's horrified face. Dumbledore strode with a great deal of purpose to the box, and Jack looked inside. The piece of parchment began to reveal some words. Jack picked it up first. "It says 'Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs; Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers; are proud to present The Marauder's Map'. What's the-?"

"You figured out how to unlock the contents of the parchment."

"Excuse me, Professor, what's this 'Marauder's Map'?"

"I have no idea!" For being so confused, Dumbledore sounded downright joyful. "I have been trying to get into it for years! I found it hidden behind a portrait in the hallways here at Hogwarts with that cloak and have always been trying to figure out how to open it! But you figured it out, my boy, you have indeed!"

"What are you going to do with it?"

Dumbledore opened the "Marauder's Map". "It is a map of Hogwarts Castle!" he gasped. "It shows all the rooms, passageways, and where people are! See here, you and me in my office! How could I have not known of this artifact?"

"Maybe it's not an artifact," Jack reasoned. "Maybe someone made it recently."

"Jackson Frost, I must take your word here, that you were not trying to steal my Cloak of Invisibility or this parchment that seemed meaningless at the time."

"I promise, sir."

"Well, being a reasonable man, you 'cracked the code', to speak, and I find this to mean you are the rightful owner of this not-so-artifact, as you say."

Jack's jaw dropped open. Dumbledore took this as a sign to continue.

"This breaks every rule the school stands for… giving a student access to all secret passages of the school, a way to pinpoint every student or faculty member's location, something that isn't verified by the Ministry for Magic as safe, or even legal. But, I must admit that keeping it for myself would break every rule any upright wizard would stand for. Jackson, this map belongs to you. But you must swear to me that- oh, disregard it all. I am already responsible for your further rule breaking; I do not want to be responsible for forcing you into a falsehood."

"Professor Dumbledore…" Jack tried to put on a sarcastic, nonchalant face, so he wouldn't get in trouble if his request were out of line. "Do I get to keep the cloak too?"

Sure enough, the professor chortled. "No, Jackson, I would never allow that artifact out of my sight. And believe me, my boy, when I say this is an artifact. It is not just an Invisibility Cloak; it's the Cloak of Invisibility!" The headmaster was euphoric at this pointless clarification.

"What's the difference?"

A mask slid over Dumbledore's face, as if he'd led himself into a trap. Suddenly, the Headmaster-to-student relationship rebirthed. "Well, Frost, you must get going. Indeed, it is quite late, and you have classes tomorrow! Just let me write you a note, since it is after curfew, giving you permission to head back to your dormitory. But quickly! No detours, no other stops. Straight there, Jackson, straight there!"

"Sure, sir. And, um, goodnight." Jack left the office, but at the last minute, cast one longing glance to the Cloak of Invisibility that wasn't an Invisibility Cloak or whatever. Spotting a clock on the way to Slytherin Dungeon, Jack saw it was past midnight, but he needed to know why Dumbledore valued a Cloak of Invisibility over Invisibility Cloaks. The only way he was going to get an answer was from asking someone highly intelligent who trusted him. Jack turned sharply and made his way to Ravenclaw Tower. Rapunzel just had to know something about it.

The entrance was a door with no lock or handle, but a bronze knocker shaped like an eagle. The residents of Ravenclaw Tower wouldn't settle with a password like Gryffindor or Slytherin, but instead required the answer to a riddle in order to get inside. This was good and bad. Anyone, even a non-Ravenclaw, could get in if they got lucky with the riddle. That included Jack. The bad side was that the riddles were hard, and he never got them right.

"I go up but at the same time go down," the bronze eagle knocker started, and Jack groaned. "Up towards the blue sky, and down towards the ground. I'm present tense and past tense, too, so why don't you come for a ride, just me and you?"

"Can't I get a different one?" Jack whined. No response. Sighing, Jack tried to think this through. Up to the sky and down to the ground at the same time. It's past and resent, but not future. It mentioned riding, and "just me and you", which means two people can ride it at the same time. A horse? That makes no sense. A broomstick? No…

Jack remembered the time Merida accidently fractured his arm with the Bludger. Ok, so he put his own arm in the way. He had to ride down to the ground hanging with one hand from his broomstick. It pointed diagonally to the ground, so the other end pointed up towards the sky.

Maybe the up and down part wasn't straight up and down, but diagonal. Two people could ride broomsticks, but that wouldn't make sense with the past and present part. Something diagonal two people can ride, past and present tense…

Jack remembered taking his little sister out to the playground on sunny days back home and smiled at the bittersweet memory that made him homesick. The two of them, just the two of them, would ride on a teeter-totter, his little sister's favorite thing to do at the playground. It would go up and down, so it made perfect sense with everything in the riddle, except for the past and present tense twist. Besides, the answer to a Ravenclaw riddle couldn't be so childish.

Then, Jack felt like he'd been slapped in the face. There was another name for a teeter-totter, a name that involved past and present tense of the same word in itself. "The answer is a seesaw!" Jack wasn't sure how he was supposed to provide his answer, and felt quite stupid shouting the name of playground equipment at a door.

"That is correct." And the door swung open.

Jack lost his breath for a second. He actually answered a Ravenclaw riddle. He charged into the Ravenclaw Common Room to tell Rapunzel before realizing that intruding on her dormitory was actually kind of creepy. Besides, what if there was someone else in the Common Room? He was a Slytherin, and no one liked Slytherin students besides the fellow Slytherin classmates, and he was breaking curfew. He was not welcome here, and he knew that.

But the Common Room was miraculously empty, except for a lone girl at a desk reading by candlelight. The girl was the most stunning girl Jack had ever seen, with big, curious green eyes, a splash of freckles dancing playfully among rosy cheeks, and that gorgeous golden hair that was usually tucked into a thick braid sprawled freely behind her. Rapunzel looked up at the creaking of the opening door and smiled at Jack.


	5. Hallows, Heat, & Hair

"How'd you get in here?" Rapunzel shut her book and stood up, trying to calm the flutters in her stomach.

"Same as you've been doing for six years; I answered a riddle. What, you didn't think I could handle it?" Jack smiled devilishly and plopped down in the chair across from her. Rapunzel sank bank down into her seat on the opposite side of the desk. "Something about up and down, past and present, riding, and two people."

Rapunzel cocked her head. "Seesaw?"

Jack stared at her, dumbfounded, she assumed, for figuring it out so quickly. Rapunzel blushed. She knew guys always testified that, no, girls who are dumb and ditzy are not attractive and, yes, boys want girls with a brain who can think for themselves. But sometimes Rapunzel felt like an outsider with her brains. She couldn't deny people sometimes gave her dirty looks for getting all the answers right in class, the high marks, and the ignorant, witty comebacks. She simply stated fact, but it seemed to utterly annoy everyone to a degree. Hiccup would stare, blinking, simply confused. Merida would scoff and tell her to lighten up her reading and actually live life rather than learn of it. Jack just gave her these unreadable stares she could never interpret as admiration or aversion.

"I'm sorry. Anyway, do you need something?" Rapunzel clutched the Arithmancy book to her chest.

"Uh, yeah. You might think this is a stupid question-" Jack rose a hand to stop her. "I know; there's no such thing as a stupid question. But you might think I'm pretty ignorant for not knowing the answer to this."

"Jack, you know I'd think nothing of the sort. C'mon, what do you want to know?" Rapunzel rested her elbows on the table between them and propped up her forearms so her hands could lace together to make a platform for her chin to rest.

"Ok. What's the difference between an Invisibility Cloak and a Cloak of Invisibility?" Rapunzel sat up in a swift motion, jerking her arms down. She knew the answer to that one, all right, but she wondered how Jack heard about it. Inquiring the basis of his question, Jack retold the day's events. "And Dumbledore stressed that it was a Cloak of Invisibility, not an Invisibility Cloak," he finished, confused.

"Professor Dumbledore," Rapunzel corrected. It was maddening how Jack never preceded their professors' names with respectful titles, but Jack didn't seem to know it bothered her. He just stared at her, waiting for an answer. "An Invisibility Cloak," she started, sighing, "is simply a cloak that makes you invisible. That's it. It can't make you invulnerable to any spells or magic. It just hides you from the eye. It also wears out with time. There're tons of Invisibility Cloaks out there."

"I'm taking it the Cloak of Invisibility is really rare," Jack said, leaning in like he did when he got interested about something. His voice also started slowing and softening, which happened when he took great care to comprehending something. Rapunzel noticed all this about Jack and hoped it wasn't too creepy.

"There's only one. It's very old and powerful. It doesn't fade; the magic stays strong. Spells are useless against it. It can't even rip. Like the one in Professor Dumbledore's office. Maybe you weren't trying hard enough-"

"I'm telling you, the thing doesn't rip!" Jack looked insulted, and Rapunzel remembered his unusually thin structure often made him self-conscious, especially in areas of strength. "It looked really, really old, and the magic was still as strong as ever. And Dumbledore said it was the Cloak of Invisibility-"

"He could be- no. _Professor _Dumbledore is never wrong, but still… the Cloak of Invisibility isn't just rare, it's nonexistent. Well, it's disputable. Everyone believes it's just a myth, like the other two Deathly Hallows!"

"Two other… cloaks?"

"No, one cloak. It's one of three magical items to make up the Deathly Hallows."

"I'm sorry?"

Rapunzel tried to keep from hyperventilating. Professor Dumbledore had a Hallow. That must mean the other two weren't myths, either, but… Rapunzel got up from their desk and went to the desk on their left to grab a quill and a sheet of parchment. "There's three 'Deathly Hallows'. The Deathly Hallows were bestowed by Death upon three brothers after they thwarted him. It's a long legend, really, and I'm not sure how much of it's true."

"How do you thwart Death?"

"They didn't die when Death set up a trap to make them die. Death controls death, not dying."

"What?"

"Why don't we skip to what the Hallows actually are?"

"This is why you're the smart one, Blondie."

Rapunzel blushed under Jack's annoying nickname. "Well, each of the brothers wanted something from Death… a reward, I guess, for being clever. Death gave each of those three brothers an award, hence, three Hallows. The first brother wanted the Elder Wand." Rapunzel drew a vertical line on the parchment. "This is allegedly the most powerful wand in existence and can accomplish magic thought impossible by other means. It's said to be fifteen inches of elder wood with a Threstral tail hair at the core- oh, you don't care about that, I'm sure. Point is, if the master of the Wand was in a duel with anyone, regardless of how great the opponent wizard or opposing wand, the Elder Wand will have the advantage to win. Also, to legend, in order to not only own but also master the Wand, you must kill the previous owner, or at least disarm him or her."

Jack swallowed. "Lovely. Well, let's go with disarming."

Rapunzel laughed. "The second brother owned the second Hallow." She carefully drew a circle over the vertical line. The bottom of the circle reached the bottom of the line, no further, and the top of the circle went two-thirds of the way up the line. "The Resurrection Stone. If you flip it over three times in your hand, it, according to legend, brings back shades from the dead- specifically the holder's loved ones. They're more than ghosts, but less than living bodies. Once the Stone leaves your hand, the shades leave your presence. It doesn't actually bring people back to life, just back to earth."

Slightly frowning, Jack said, "That doesn't seem powerful at all. And if they aren't actually alive again-"

"Yes, but they're there with you. It's really them. You can talk with them; carry out conversations with them. They just are dead. But they're there."

"But they're dead," Jack continued. "What can you do when you're dead? The only time you can make a difference in the world and be somebody is in the living. Why bring someone back when they've passed on?"

"Why murder to obtain the most powerful wand in existence?"

"And the Cloak is the third Hallow?" Jack finished. Rapunzel sensed that Jack just wanted to get off the dispute of the nobler Hallow- the Wand or the Stone. The Cloak, they could both agree, was a good, if not the best, Hallow.

"You already know of its powers." Rapunzel picked up the quill and drew a triangle on the parchment, enclosing the line and circle, so that the top of the line bisected the top corner of the triangle. "These are the three Deathly Hallows. Owning one is amazing. You have great power, undoubtedly. Two is even better. But owning all three… owning all three Deathly Hallows makes you the master of Death and death- both the capital and the lowercase." Rapunzel hoped she wasn't going to fast. She hoped Jack wouldn't ask what the difference between Death and death was, because the furthest of her information said Death was the personification and symbolic being of death. Rapunzel was fairly certain there was more to it, though. "Of course, all this Deathly Hallows stuff is just a legend."

"Then where did Dumbledore's all-powerful, never-fatiguing, magic-proof cloak that doesn't rip come from? Huh? If it's real, all the other Hallows must be real! Oh, Rapunzel, stop looking at me like that! They have to be!"

"Even if they were, then what?" Rapunzel felt terrible saying it, because Jack immediately calmed down from his excited rant at Rapunzel's logic. "So the Hallows are real. They could be anywhere in the world- not just Hogwarts. You'd never find all three. You'd just sit there and think about them your entire life, thinking of a dream that's never going to come true! It's all a lost cause, something for you to stress and worry about for your entire life, something to be alone in where no one will ever understand!"

"Rapunzel, are you ok?" Jack leaned over the table, stretching out an arm cautiously. Only when his hand rested on her shoulder did she realize how tense she was, how she was shaking. She didn't want to break down in front of Jack, but she couldn't be a brick wall, either. "This is about something other than this Hallow stuff, isn't it?"

Rapunzel turned to look him in the eye. She didn't want to go into her "dream" rave, things she wanted ever so badly but her mother told her was impossible, not to mention childish and stupid. She was a Ravenclaw. She should be smarter than this. Yet, Rapunzel always had the heart of an innocent young girl inside of her, something she didn't want to grow out of, and it seemed she alone was proud of it. Instead of gushing her life's sorrows and disappointments, she made a daring move. She regretted it almost as soon as she did it, but she just held out her arms, inviting Jack to hug her.

He stood up, walked around the table, and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her from her chair into his warm arms. She rested her head on his chest and let silent tears leave salty tracks down her face. Jack brought up an arm and combed her hair with his fingers. It was such a gentle gesture, yet so gratifying. Normally, she flinched when someone even looked at her hair, let alone touch it. But with Jack… it was different. That was the only word. Completely, utterly different. But good.

"Rapunzel, please tell me what's wrong," Jack murmured.

"I can't. It's stupid for me to-"

"Rapunzel, please tell me what's wrong." His voice was stronger, and she could feel it vibrate through her head as it rested against his chest. She held him tighter, and he returned the strengthened embrace.

"My life is at a dead end. After school, Merida goes off to lead her clan, Hiccup goes off to lead his tribe, and you're going to become an Auror. But I… I'm just going back to my tower. There's nothing ahead of me in life after this. I'm just going back into hiding with my mother in that tower, like I've always been before Hogwarts. I just have to protect this hair. But I only have one hope. It's like my 'dream'."

"Go on, Rapunzel. It's ok."

Trying not to look too desperate for comfort, Rapunzel released her hold on Jack and sat back down in her chair. Jack squatted on the floor beside her. "I want to find my father. I don't where he is, or who he is, or even if he's alive. But I know one thing. He must be a wizard; that's the only way I could've gotten my magic hair. Like any girl who doesn't know about her father, I want to find him. I also need to ask him about my hair. Why is it like this? Is his like this? I can't imagine a man with flowing golden locks, but maybe he has a beard that-" She stopped, peering down at his face. "Are you laughing?"

"Not at finding your dad, but the glowing beard thing. I'm sorry; that's mean. I'll stop. What did your mom say about wanting to find your dad?"

Rapunzel couldn't help but smile. The beard thing was pretty funny. She hoped her grin conveyed forgiveness before she continued. "Right before Hogwarts, when I was eleven, I brought it up for the first time. I was starting to piece things together about my past, and I wanted to know if my father… but she shut me down. She started yelling at me for bringing him up, and I'll never forget her face when I did. Asking about my past just reminds her of my father, I'm guessing, and it hurts her. I never want to bring her that pain, but I need to know. This information might protect me better than a tower."

Jack stared at her, as if trying to calculate a solution, or maybe even just some comforting words. "So your big dream is the key to your past?"

"I know; it sounds stupid and pointless."

"No, it doesn't!" Jack stood up and looked down at her. "How are you supposed to know who you are if you don't know who you were? People say we aren't defined by our past. But the past provides the pathways for our future. How can you know where to go if you don't know where you are? How do you know where you are if you don't know how you got there?"

Rapunzel stared up at him, slightly shocked. Jack wasn't very… well, his wand didn't necessarily produce the brightest _lumos_; that was a nice way to put it. But sometimes, he just said the wisest things that it made her wonder how he wasn't a Ravenclaw. "You- you support me in trying to find my father?"

"Well, yeah! I would do the same. We could check Hogwarts records and see if he ever attended school here, and we… wait. Do you know your dad's name?"

"Believe me; if I did, I would have easily found him already. I-" Rapunzel broke off and yawned. "I should probably get some sleep. We have classes tomorrow anyway. But, do you really plan on helping me find my father?"

"Do you want my help?"

"Yes, I do! I… I need you."

"Then you already know my answer."

Rapunzel watched Jack leave Ravenclaw Tower and smiled. The late-night chat was totally worth accidentally sleeping in and missing breakfast. But, she was lucky enough to make it in time for her first class that morning: Study of Ancient Runes.

* * *

Hiccup's eyes fluttered open from a deep sleep. The first thing he realized was that he hadn't awoken in his own dormitory. He was somewhere else. Sun poured into windows that stretched up and down the walls of an airy room, and perfectly aligned in between each window, the headboard of one of several white beds was against the walls. The Hogwarts Infirmary.

Then he remembered Care of Magical Creatures. He tried to remember details, but all he remembered was tripping over a crimson rock with gold flecks and then drowning. At least, Hiccup couldn't breathe. But the water seemed like a thick blanket that was one big suction cup. A big fleece blanket that was hotter than…

"Fire." The whisper didn't seem like his own. The memory came tumbling back on him, how he so foolishly volunteered to "train" the new Chinese Fireball dragon, the "dragon of the month" for October. He'd been reading up, and he wanted to test his skills on a dragon less dangerous than a Night Fury, but still more dangerous than the Welsh Green. He'd been doing fine… but then… but then…

"Hiccup! Thank goodness, you're ok!"

"Wait… Rapunzel? What happened?"

"Well, I head this from Professor Hofferson; she carried you into the infirmary." Hiccup wanted to die right there. He made himself look like a fool in front of his first crush. It would be him, wouldn't it? "You were walking around the cage with the Chinese Fireball, talking to it… you know, your usual gig. You would have been fine, but you tripped over one of Mama's eggs, and that didn't go over so well."

"How did I live through that?"

"Professor Hofferson works with dragons for a living; she knew what she was doing. I got this from hallway gossip, but she used the Conjunctivis Curse to temporarily blind the dragon. The fire barely got to you, but it did, so you were burned pretty badly. The force of the flames also threw you across the cage a bit, so the dragon couldn't find you again, at least with eyesight. Professor Hofferson distracted the dragon and had one of your classmates come and pull you out. I think he was that one Slytherin guy- his last name is Jorgenson? Seems rough around the edges, but a pretty ok guy. Then, she- Professor Hofferson- released class and took you up to the infirmary. She's pretty shaken up about it; she thinks she'll lose her job over it. But Professor Dumbledore is a reasonable man. And he probably would've done the same thing. Like, letting you into the dragon cage so you can tame another dragon. I know I would've done the same thing. Plus, I've healed you and- uh, I used some special anti-fire dragon… leaves and healed the burns." Rapunzel babbled on and on about the healing and the incident and Professor Hofferson, but Hiccup had long since zoned out. He'd just possibly cost Astrid her job?

Hiccup groaned, sinking further into the bed. Why was it when there was something, anything that went wrong, it was always him? He hadn't felt this stupid since that time he tested out a new cannon he had invented during a nighttime dragon invasion back home in Berk. Not only did the cannon blow up, but it had also shot somebody's house down. It had happened earlier that summer; just a couple of months had passed in between two fire incidents. No wonder the dragon's flames licked at him with a dreadful familiarity.

"Hiccup!" Rapunzel peered down at him, her eyebrows scrunched up. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Right. Yeah. I'm sorry, Rapunzel, I just feel so stupid!"

"Well, the important thing is you're better!"

"Astrid's going to lose her job?"

"Who's Astrid? You mean Professor Hofferson?" Rapunzel looked scandalized at Hiccup's use of a teacher's first name.

"I knew her back when we were both students; she went by Astrid back then."

"Well, still, I really think you'll be ok. This is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Dangerous, life-threatening things are supposed to happen. They'll make you stronger in the real world!"

"Uh-huh."

"I promise you didn't get Professor Hofferson in serious trouble. I shouldn't have said anything, I'm sorry. But I promise."

Rapunzel's promises were the strongest promises in the world, and that lifted Hiccup's spirits a little bit. One thing he didn't complain about, but he was definitely dreading, was exiting the infirmary to laughter and mockery. Hiccup was never that popular (understatement, he thought pessimistically), and the Welsh Green was a huge, sudden boost. Something like this would certainly take him down a peg, or a couple thousand. He'd be back in business for kids who loved to run into him, shove books out of his hands, or give him dirty looks before starting humiliating rumors, like he slept with a potted plant because he was so dedicated to Herbology. It was like dragon fire. One little flame slowly crept around his entire body, thoroughly scorching one square inch of him beyond repair before moving on to another spot, then another, and another. Without having Merida to stick up for him in those moments, he'd have long been a goner.

It was fifth year, when someone stirred his cauldron in Potions behind his back. It seemed like a pointless thing, but even the slightest extra stir could make the potion blow up. Everyone was laughing, and Hiccup just wanted to die. Then, Merida had stood up, her red hair looking ablaze with her face even chalkier than usual. She hadn't said a word, just simply stood with an authoritative elegance, and everyone was silent. She then helped clean up Hiccup's mess, looking infuriated that anyone would mess with him. Needless to say, that was Hiccup's last year in Potions, and surprisingly, Merida's last as well.

It was also the first year he'd noticed Merida. Like, really noticed her that way. He'd been entertaining the unobtainable crush on Astrid for years, and all of a sudden, he started getting... confused. Conflicted. Curious. Hiccup didn't know if he merely found her headstrong character admirable, or liked her _that_ way.

One thing was for certain. She was independent. She didn't need a guy. Why would Merida want one, especially one as inadequate as Hiccup?

Rapunzel had left Hiccup a while ago, taking his silence for fatigue and giving him time to sleep. Really, she'd given him time to wallow in self-loathing and anxiety. Watching Rapunzel slip out of the room, he waited a few minutes before slipping out of the infirmary. He didn't know where, but he had to find her. Astrid.

Hiccup entered the hallway the Headmaster's office was on and saw Astrid walking briskly down the hall. Her eyes lit up at him standing at the end of the hall. "Oh, Hiccup!" She dashed down the hall and enveloped him in a hug. "I can't believe you're on your feet so quickly!" Astrid held him by the shoulders looking over him. "When your friend said she could take care of you, she meant it! Are you feeling all right?"

Making a conscience effort not to call her Astrid, Hiccup swallowed. "Um, yes, thank-you, Professor Hofferson. I just wanted to make sure you were all right… that I didn't do anything too stupid to get you in trouble."

With a pitying smile that warmed up to her blue eyes, Hiccup couldn't help but feel his stomach plummet at the fact that he was always going to be some little schoolboy to her. "Hiccup, you don't need to worry about me!"

"So, you're not in trouble?" Hiccup winced slightly.

"No, I'm not. Professor Dumbledore's a very reasonable man. He said he would've done the same thing. Though, we've both agreed that there's no way either of us are going to let any more students alone in the dragon cages." Clapping his shoulder, Astrid strutted off past him. Hiccup turned around and opened his mouth to call her back but thought better of it. He didn't have anything impressive to say.

That left him with his thoughts. No more taming dragons for Hiccup. However was he supposed to train the Night Fury? Then, Hiccup laughed at himself. He'd been so caught up in his adventure in the Forbidden Forest, he'd forgotten that he was there to study the Nighty Fury, not train it. Night Furies are dragons, not dogs. Feeling slightly comforted with his new practical mindset, Hiccup pushed the disappointment away and made his way back to Hufflepuff Basement.

* * *

During a Saturday morning two weeks later, the four were quite a sight.

First of all, Merida had encouraged them to scrounge food from their house tables and meet outside the Great Hall so they could all eat breakfast together. It was the first Quidditch Match of the year at Hogwarts, and Merida had formed a tradition their second year that they should all eat together every year for that event. This year, the first game was Gryffindor versus Slytherin.

Usually, the breakfast gathering was just to support her, as she was Gryffindor Chaser for the past few years, and now Captain. Although, she was just as proud as anyone else at Jack's accomplishment as Seeker. For the first time in a few years, she was nervous about a game. Gryffindor might actually… lose.

Jack also seemed nervous, although he didn't dare to show it. He was hiding behind a book entitled _The Tale of the Three Brothers: as told by Beedle the Bard_. Rapunzel, on the other hand, was scarfing down scones and sneaking a sideways glance at Jack every minute or so. It was as if they switched bodies.

"So, Jack," Merida started, trying to make conversation, "what ye got there?"

"Hmm? Oh, it's _The Tale of the Three Brothers_. It explains the origin of the Deathly Hallows."

"What're the-?"

"Long story. Another time," Rapunzel said quickly, cutting off Merida. "Anyway… big game today! You two nervous?"

"No!" Merida's voice rang in a defiant unison with Jack's.

Merida saw Hiccup roll his eyes and glared at him. He suddenly had an urge to chug his orange juice. "Anyway," Merida tried to continue, "I'm very excited to play ye, Jack. It's yer first game! Yer goin' to be great."

Jack smiled and muttered a thank-you with an unconvincing confidence. His head plowed back into his book.

Hiccup, on the other hand, frowned at his friend's anxiety. Being the loyal friend he was, Hiccup began giving Jack a pep talk. "You know, I've personally never seen you fly, but I'm sure you must be amazing if it's your first year on the team and you're a Seeker. I know they need to be really fast and agile."

Adjusting his green cape, Jack smiled up at Hiccup. "Thanks, bro."

"An' I can speak for Jack's speed an' agility. He is amazin'," Merida picked up. "For the first time in a while, I'm thinkin' Gryffindor's goin' to have a tough victory."

"Oh ho, it'll be tough for you alright, but I can't guarantee a victory." Slamming his book shut, Jack smirked, and flames of competition heated his amber eyes.

Later, on the Quidditch Pitch, Merida swerved to avoid a Bludger, faked a throw into the center hoop, and instead scored the Quaffle past the Slytherin Keeper into the left goal. She was used to the screaming, cheering, and occasional jeering from the crowd after all these years, so it just sounded like a swarm of bees. Glancing up in the sky, she saw Jack and her own team's Seeker, third year Mac, hovering while keeping an eye out for the Golden Snitch. Mac was tall, speedy, skinny, and agile, just like Jack, but with a tinge of arrogance. Jack's arrogance was playful, spirited, sarcastic, and really just a front that made everybody laugh. Mac was really and truly arrogant, which was the only thing holding his skills behind Jack's. Then again, Mac didn't have Jack's nerves. That put them back as equals.

"That puts us at 230 to 120, Gryffindor in the lead!" Rapunzel's commentary rang from the commentary box. Rapunzel loved Quidditch, but she was quite clumsy ("and proud of it! It makes me 'me'!" She'd said this once to Merida), and found pleasure in commentating for games. "The Slytherin Team still has hope to win if their new Seeker, seventh year Jack Frost, is able to catch the Snitch, so it's still anybody's game!"

Rapunzel's voice flushed with pride, but Merida could almost feel Jack crumbling under the attention driven toward him. Jack, however, was a popular student not only in his own dormitory, but the rest of Hogwarts, and everyone cheered for him.

Merida swooped downward underneath the action of the game so she could bullet through the Quidditch Pitch without having to weave through people. Once she was underneath a Slytherin Chaser, she flew up in front of him to intercept the Quaffle, tossing it to another Chaser on her own team as her red curly hair whipped her face. It felt especially tangled, almost like it was fighting her, but she didn't have time to brush it out. She was in the middle of a game.

And the game when on. And on. A beautiful pink sunset reflected off the silver tiles on the Slytherin viewing towers. Gryffindor was still in the lead, 720 to 570. The cheering had long since subsided into slow clapping and the jeering turned into moaning. Merida wasn't used to such quiet during a game, and it was almost as disconcerting as the lengthiness of the game. Professional games could easily take this long, but usually not school games. Where was that Snitch? Had the staff even remembered to release it? The game couldn't end unless Mac or Jack caught it, and at this point, Merida didn't care who caught it, as long as someone ended this game.

"And Slytherin scored, putting their score up to 580." Even Rapunzel sounded fatigued. "Only 140 points behind, they have just as likely a chance as winning this as Gryffindor, as the Golden Snitch is worth 150."

Merida had to admit that last point was her fault. She'd been so tired, she accidentally tossed the Quaffle to a Slytherin Chaser, who stared at her for half a second before scoring flawlessly. Shaken up by her incident, she almost didn't notice the Bludger in time to duck. The entire audience gasped at her close call, and suddenly, Mac dove straight down to Merida.

"What're ye doin'? Keep an eye out for the Snitch!" she called up at him.

But he kept flying at her. Jack cocked his head in confusion, but followed him swiftly, thinking Mac must've found the Snitch.

"This ain't a good time for discussin' an' strategizin'… hey, ye bloke, get out o' me hair! What do ye think yer- Oi! Stop!"

Everyone was shouting as Mac pulled at her hair. "My fingers are stuck!" he screamed.

"Well why did ye even-?"

"Get off of her! What's wrong with you?" Jack shouted, slamming into Mac. She screamed as her neck experienced whiplash, being yanked aside with Mac's hands. Her broom slipped from underneath her, so she was hanging by her hair, which was tangled in Mac's fists. Jack dove down to grab her Firebolt, and as his fist closed around it, Merida slipped from Mac's grasp. _Now he gets his hands out_, she thought, but her only words were a steady slur of profanities as she propelled down to the ground. Jack caught her, unsteadily, but caught her all the same.

Merida realized Rapunzel wasn't even commentating at this point, and must've been just as confused as everyone else. The Quidditch game, after many hours, just had its interesting revival. Jack flew her down to the ground, since they were already pretty close, so she could get back on her broomstick. Her feet hit the ground, and she looked up to see Mac flying back down at her. Grabbing the Firebolt, Merida did a tuck and roll as he crashed into the ground. She straddled her broomstick and shot back into the air, Mac right behind her, Jack behind him.

She stole a glance at the Quidditch game between the other Chasers. Her two fellow Gryffindor Chasers were playing Monkey-in-the-Middle, tossing the Quaffle back and forth, as the three Slytherin Chasers tried to intercept. All five, however, were quite distracted by the display of Merida and the two Seekers. The Beaters were trying to hit the Chasers from opposing teams, and the Keepers just sat there, not sure whom they should be watching.

Jerking swiftly, Merida turned a corner and sent Mac barreling past her. "Stop it!" he was screaming at her. "You don't understand!"

Locking eyes with Jack, Merida tried to convey a message, but she wasn't sure what she should say: "help me, this guy is freaking me out"; "what the heck is going on"; or "just catch the freaking Golden Snitch and end this game already". Mac was still screaming behind her, shouting unintelligible things. Merida couldn't hear him, but Jack's eyes widened with understanding as he dived behind her. "It's in your hair! Get it out!" he shouted.

She flew away from Mac, and Jack stayed beside her. "What're ye talkin' 'bout? What's in me hair? Why can't ye get it out?"

"Mac tried, and he ended up hurting you!"

Suddenly, Merida got it. The Snitch had been stuck in her hair this whole time. How humiliating!

"Plus, if I get it out, Slytherin would win the game by ten points. The fairest way to do this is for you to get it out and just throw it off-"

"Jack, get the Snitch out o' me hair right now!"

"I can't without hurting-"

"Before that Mac bloke hurts me more!" Merida felt a fluttering, like wings, swishing at the nape of her neck. Snitch wings. Jack's arm slipped over her shoulder, and Merida winced, trying to keep a steady flying pace while Jack grabbed the Snitch so it didn't look like she was letting Slytherin win, while trying not to laugh. The Snitch wings were tickling her terribly.

Suddenly, Jack was knocked away from her, pulling out a fistful of red curls. Merida let out a sharp howl, and Mac shoveled through her hair. "He couldn't have gotten it! He couldn't have…"

"Oh!" Rapunzel exclaimed from the commentary tower. "Jack Frost, Slytherin Seeker, crashed to the ground! And… he's holding up a fistful of Chaser and Gryffindor Captain Merida DunBroch's hair… wait a minute! It's the Golden Snitch! It was in her hair the whole time!"

The audience gasped, sniggered, and drawled, "oh…" upon this realization. "So that's why ye were pullin' at me hair. Could've told me," Merida grumbled at Mac.

"I was trying! You were flying away too fast!" Mac retorted, clearly blaming her for letting Jack get the Snitch. Which was actually kind of the case. But Merida felt no guilt handing a victory over to Slytherin.

"That puts the Slytherin Team at 730 points, ten more than Gryffindor! Slytherin wins!" The Slytherin House cheered boisterously, the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Houses applauded respectfully, and the Gryffindor House grumbled, not happy with their loss, but thankfully not booing at Merida. She never felt more embarrassed in her life. She'd always been ashamed of the crazy hair. Sure, she held a bit of pride in it. It was crazy and unable to be tamed, bound by nothing, obeying nobody, even poking defiantly out of Mum's braids Merida never wore because they only worked on Rapunzel. Her hair was very fitting for her personality. But that didn't mean her hair couldn't be a hassle, and it most certainly didn't mean it wasn't embarrassing at times. Whenever embarrassed, instead of going red, she flushed whiter and whiter, making her already pale skin paler, and her red hair redder in comparison. As if she needed it to stand out more at this time.

Merida hadn't had lunch that day, and it was well past the usual dinnertime at Hogwarts, but she just wasn't hungry. She landed on the ground of the Quidditch Pitch, and the rest of her team followed her, trying to ignore the huge revelry of the Slytherin House and Team as they crowded around Jack.

"Well…" Merida didn't know what to say as she faced her team in the locker rooms. The Beaters were poking at each other absentmindedly with their bats, and the Keeper slipped off his helmet, shaking his sweaty hair, which was quite unnecessary considering it was a buzz-cut. "I messed up out there. Ye all did great out there, an' I'm very proud o' all o' ye. Next match, we're sure to win, as long as the Snitch doesn't get in me hair again."

"That wasn't your fault, Merida," one of her fellow Chasers said, resting a comforting hand on Merida's shoulder. "Plus, you scored half our points. You did great out there, too."

"Yeah," continued the third Chaser. "Besides, it was a long game. It was at the point where I honestly didn't care if we won; I just wanted to get the game over with."

The Keeper and Beaters laughed, and Merida admitted she agreed. Mac just made a sour face. "Well, like I've said, I'm mighty proud o' each an' every one o' ye, and let's remember to check me hair periodically throughout the game next time." At this, even Mac permitted himself a smile.


	6. Secrets, Spying, & Spells

Someone howled ferociously, giving way to much cheering and the clanking of Butterbeer mugs. Jack laughed, raised his own glass up in the air, and chugged the drink, carefully monitoring his steps to avoid the Butterbeer that others had carelessly let slosh off the sides of their mugs onto the floor.

People clapped his shoulders as he walked by, and Jack smiled and nodded awkwardly. Sure, he'd experienced plenty of Slytherin Dormitory parties after hours, but never one for him. All he'd done was get a Snitch out of Merida's hair and _bam!_ He was the most popular kid in the Dungeon.

"Turn up the music!" Jack shouted, trying to sound like some life of the party.

"You got it, bro!" A boy with dreadlocks who must've been the DJ or something pumped a fist in the air as he turned the radio's volume dial, and well over half the Slytherin students took more shots of Butterbeer. Slytherin Dungeon partially extended underneath Black Lake, and the windows of the Common Room gave view to the water, which cast a vibrant green glow. The windows vibrated, and Jack feared they would shatter and lake water would drown them all. Then he realized that was stupid. Slytherin Dungeon had lasted for hundreds and hundreds of years. Most certainly its windows could withstand loud music. If Jack didn't have to worry about one thing, it's drowning.

Jack bellowed, "Party!" leading to more roars of students who'd clearly had a bit too much to drink. Jack, who'd spent the party recounting his catch of the Golden Snitch, hadn't had a chance to drink nearly as much Butterbeer as everyone else. When he nearly tripped over a first year who had passed out, probably from partying a little too hard, Jack decided to set down the mug and call it a night, but it wasn't like he could slip away unnoticed from his own party.

"Jack!" A bunch of fourth year girls sprinted up to him, fluttering their eyelids. "Tell us how you caught the Golden Snitch!"

Trying to hide how irritated and bored he was with the story (hello, they were at the game! They saw the whole thing!), he began recounting his "heroic" deed when a tall figure entered the dormitory. Everyone was silent, except for the DJ with the dreadlocks, who was still jamming out to the loud music with his eyes closed. "Yeah! Party!"

"Dude!" Jack called.

"Louder? Oh." The DJ blinked and, quick as a viper, shut off the radio. "Hi, sir."

The fourth year girls hid behind Jack, giggling and trying to be cute, but it just drew more attention to him, which was the last thing he needed.

The tall figure stalked maliciously toward Jack. "Jackson Frost, I'm here to deliver a noise complaint." The girls dashed away from him, squealing.

"From who?" Jack narrowed his eyes.

"From whom," Professor Pitch sneered. His grayish skin seemed to absorb the green glow from the lake. "From myself. Your unruly partying is making my tolerance waver, Jackson."

"It's Jack."

"No, it's 'Jock'. Are you seriously that arrogant of a swine to make your dormitory password 'Jock Frost'?"

"That was actually me," the disc jockey muttered, a Slytherin prefect. Jack shot him a smile to show he appreciated the gesture, hoping it would get on Pitch's nerves.

Pitch smiled, but something in his eyes made Jack take a step back. "Well," Pitch drawled. "I am ever so glad that Slytherin House is expressing gestures of equality to Muggle-born wizards. Aren't you, Jackson?"

Whispers hissed around him, and Jack felt poisonous glares slithering toward him. With a soft, dry laugh, Pitch left the Common Room, and the brick wall that provided the entrance closed behind him.

"Dude," someone said behind him. "You're… you're a Mudblood?" It wasn't really a question. It was an accusation.

Jack forced a weak laugh. "It's not that big a deal, right?" But everybody was staring at him judgingly. "C'mon, guys, I caught the Golden Snitch! I won the game!" Jack dug the golden ball out of his pocket, which rested in his palm, the white wings daintily drooping through his fingers. "That's what's important, right?"

"Yeah, but you didn't even notice it until the Gryffindor Seeker flew at that redheaded clown," a voice muttered to Jack's right.

"Merida DunBroch," Jack corrected angrily. "She has a name. And, she's a pureblood. Shouldn't that make her good enough for you?"

"He probably couldn't have caught it if it hadn't been tangled in her hair," a girl's voice smirked.

"Yeah, even the Snitch acknowledged it liked purebloods better by burrowing in her hair just to hide from our Mudblood Seeker," someone snickered behind him.

The room was filled with whispered mockeries and hushed chuckles. Jack's ears rang, and he stormed past the crowd to the bedroom he shared with other Slytherin seventh year boys. Jack sat on his bed, wanting to curl up and cry, but he was just waiting for someone to come up here and mock him. Sure enough, five minutes later, the seventh year boy who was Slytherin Quidditch Captain joined him. Jack's stomach plummeted. He knew what was coming. "Hey… Jack-"

"Please, don't. You picked me to play Seeker for a reason. I was good at tryouts. Don't just kick me off the team because I'm a Mudblood."

"Jack, don't say that word."

"Well, it's true! I'm a Mudblood! And- and I'm proud of it!" Jack calmed down after a second. "Why do you care if I say 'Mudblood'?"

"Not all Slytherins, even the ones with the 'purest' blood, as myself, are racist and bigoted." The captain walked over to Jack and sat on a bed across him. "I just wanted to tell you that not everyone hates you because you're a Muggle-born."

"I'm a Mudblood. It's not a bad thing. It's just been given a negative connotation. Say it. Say 'Mudblood'."

Breathing shallowly, the burly guy broke eye contact and muttered, "I don't hate you because you're a Mudblood, nor do I think any less of you for it. I'm not going to replace you on the team, but you're going to have to work ten times harder to earn people's respect again. Besides, we're Slytherin House. Slytherins have each other's back. Sure, they're going to pick on you, but if it came between a pureblood Gryffindor like that redhead… Merida? Right. Merida. If it came between her and you, a, um, a Mudblood Slytherin, you'd have your house supporting you. Ok, bro?"

"That's great to know that if I ever got in a fight with a friend who's a girl who's always been supportive of my Muggle family line, I'd have a bunch of racist jerks to back me up."

"Sorry. She your girlfriend?"

"No! No, she's not. She's great, but I'm into someone else. She's a half-blood," Jack informed, watching closely for the Keeper's reaction.

"Dude, I told you, I don't discriminate by birth. Anyway, tomorrow's a Sunday. If you want, you and I can go the Quidditch Pitch and get you some extra training so by next practice, you'll make everyone look stupid."

Another seventh year boy came into the room, and he was holding a bloody cloth over his nose. The captain caught the boy's eye, and the boy with the bloody nose shrunk away, muttering a "sorry" to Jack before charging out of the room.

The Keeper cracked his knuckles, and Jack laughed. "Thanks, man, but I don't think I need any extra practice. I'm perfectly fine to just play with the team, and they need to see that." Jack smiled teasingly.

"Alright, dude. If any one can handle it, you can."

* * *

"I'm going to kill them! I'm going to kill them all!"

"Hiccup, calm down! I need to fight my own battles."

"Jack, they liked you just fine before finding out you were a Muggle-born, and they have no right to-"

"Dude, I know, but it's fine! Really."

Hiccup scowled at Jack. "Yeah, but still, I'm not letting anybody treat my best friend like that!"

Hiccup was glad to receive a smile from Jack to know his "best friend" comment wasn't out of line. Word had gotten around fast that Professor Pitch told everyone in Slytherin that Jack was a Muggle-born and all the Slytherin students were mean to him now for that pathetic excuse for a reason. Hiccup had heard the story from the gossip instead of Jack because Jack was too embarrassed about it to mention it.

Hiccup took out his wand at tapped the rhythm on the barrel that permitted the two of them in Hufflepuff Basement. "I know you're a Slytherin, but I want you to know you're more than welcome to come hang out in our basement anytime. Except after curfew. I don't think that's allowed."

Jack laughed at Hiccup's rule-following tendency, but a slight frown turned the corners of his mouth. "Do the others mind?"

"No! Not at all! Stop by here anytime… to visit, to go somewhere quiet to study, or to eat. The house elves help us smuggle food from the kitchen all the time. We even set up a buffet right over there! Don't tell anybody about, though."

"Hey! Look! It's Jack!" a boy's voice rang from the buffet as they approached. All the Hufflepuffs, who'd been preoccupied in socializing, schoolwork, or eating, immediately stopped what they were doing to come give Jack a warm welcome.

"So much for nonchalant acceptance," Hiccup muttered.

"Wait, did you talk with them about this? Accepting me in your basement?" Jack asked, clearly not bothered if that were the case.

"Actually, it was Ernie's idea," Hiccup said truthfully. "But I totally voted for it. In fact, everyone did."

"Oh my gosh!" Jack rushed to the buffet bar. "You guys have Snow Cones?"

No, they usually didn't, but Hiccup remembered when he was planning extra tasty food to be smuggled into Hufflepuff Basement, a house elf named Dobby asked what Jack's favorite treat was. Laughing, Hiccup told Dobby it was a Snow Cone, but not to worry about it, because a Snow Cone was a Muggle treat served in America, where Jack was from. Dobby must've done some research, because a Snow Cone machine was sitting at the end of the buffet line.

After Jack explained the idea of a Snow Cone to Hufflepuff House, Snow Cones became an acclaimed Hufflepuff treat. Hiccup was the only one who hadn't tried one yet. The idea of colored sugar on ice freaked him out a bit, so he just ate the ice plain.

"And then the Basilisk said, 'Sorry, I didn't _see_ you there.' Get it?" Jack finished his joke, followed by the Hufflepuffs' hysterical laughter.

Hiccup tossed the paper cone in the garbage and smiled, waiting until Jack was fully distracted by himself and his jokes. Hiccup waited until the next punch line so that everyone's laughter hid the sound of the barrel door creaking open as he slipped out.

Feeling like he was about to vomit, Hiccup slowly walked around the familiar underground floors of the castle. He knew the office was near Slytherin Dungeon, but he didn't know exactly where. _Calm down_, he told himself. _He's just a teacher. He's not going to get super mad at me. All the teachers love me_.

_Yeah, but Pitch hates you._

_Shut up, me._

At the door of Pitch's office, Hiccup let his knuckles rap three times on the wood. After a couple seconds of nothing happening, Hiccup raised his hand for another two when the door yanked open. Hiccup stopped himself in mid-knock, tripping over his own feet. Looking up into his yellow eyes, Hiccup felt like he'd fallen from the Astronomy Tower and been impaled by a sharp Basilisk fang. Why did Jack have to make that joke?

"Haddock from Hufflepuff, is it? You made a, ah, 'Dreadful' on my Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL at the end of fifth year, isn't that right?"

"Heh. Yeah. That- that was me. I'm more Herbology minded, sir. Heh."

Pitch blinked lazily.

Hiccup procrastinated bringing the subject. "So, um, you required an 'Outstanding', the highest grade possible, to move on to a NEWT class, isn't that right, sir?" _The grade Jack made, no matter how hard you tried to fail him,_ Hiccup thought.

"Mister Haddock, I don't have time for this. Unless you're getting to something-"

"Yes, sir, I am." Then, Hiccup froze. What did he think he was going to do? Reprimand a teacher for humiliating his best friend? Pitch would just say it was Jack's fault for not coming clean with his parentage and that there was nothing to be ashamed of, though it was kind of obvious Pitch was just as prejudiced. Hiccup thought of something to ask about, but he had no idea how Pitch would receive it. "Professor Pitch, sir, just like there are good wizards and dark wizards, are there good Magical Creatures and bad Magical Creatures? I was just wondering for Care of Magical Creatures class and I thought-"

"My, Mister Haddock, a NEWT student in that class should know that all creatures are bad creatures."

"Yes, yes sir, but are any of them distinctly _dark_ creatures?"

"Why don't you ask Professor Hofferson?"

"I-" Hiccup stopped beating around the bush. "I really wanted to know more about Dementors, sir. I wasn't sure if they were classified as Magical Creatures or not, but I knew you would have the answer." Hiccup scratched behind his ear. "Sir."

A vile smile lit his face. "They are indeed Dark Creatures, Mister Haddock. Why the sudden interest?"

"I, ah, it wasn't so sudden. It was from that day on the train and you said they were to protect the school but I haven't seen any and just having the time to think about them made me more… curious. Sir."

"You seem quite interested in the Dark Arts, my boy," Pitch said with a malevolent smile.

Hiccup gulped. That's not at all what he was intending to get across. "Well sir, I-"

"Why don't you come in my office?" Pitch said, gesturing an invitation. "I could enlighten you on Dementors, if you so wish."

Hiccup blinked. Why did he have this pull on every single teacher? If only he could control it, maybe he and Astrid… that thought was interrupted as a flat palm pressed against Hiccup's back and Pitch lead the Hufflepuff into his office. "I must say I'm quite surprised. A Hufflepuff interested in Dementors. And what you say sharpens your longing for information is sheer curiosity?"

The air in the room seemed to drop twenty degrees, as if Dementors were in the room. But Hiccup knew they weren't, because, along with cold, a Dementor brings depression and a feeling of emptiness even without its fatal kiss. Hiccup was instead feeling inspired. He didn't know why, but that sinking feeling in his gut turned into a rocketing sensation. Pitch had something up his sleeve. Something incriminating.

Unveiling that would be the perfect revenge for Jack. Hiccup sat in the chair across from Pitch's desk. "Yeah, sir, you just seem to have this great control over the Dementors- hiring them to protect the school and the Hogwarts Express. It's like they know exactly who to attack. How do you do it? Well, why, too."

"Yes, Dementors do indeed know exactly who to attack." With Pitch's smug smile, Hiccup knew he'd directed the professor's thoughts to Jack's attack. "How do I do it? Well, that insinuates a wizard can control Dementors. This is clearly impossible."

"Then how are they kept at Azkaban prison?"

"Ah. Excellent question. Dementors know they can roam Azkaban and feed off of its prisoners without oppression from the Ministry for Magic. They feed off of fear of certain victims to avoid something they're threatened by. Ironic, isn't it?" Pitch leaned back in his chair. "What is fear, Hiccup, let me ask you that. What is fear?"

"Uh… holding an unhealthy respect for something because it's…" Scary? Frightening? Intimidating? That all just meant fear.

"Exactly, Hiccup. Fear is nothing but a baseless, unhealthy respect. Fear is what you create. If you grab the reigns of fear, you can control people with nothing. Manipulation, Hiccup, I'm sure you've heard of it. No one can hold anything against you because, quite frankly, you aren't doing anything. Fear is nothing. Power is everything. Power by fear is an effortless treasure."

Ok… Hiccup thought. He couldn't figure out any other way to interpret Pitch's words besides saying Pitch wanted to control fear to hold power over the world. But that seemed just a tad stretched. Hiccup couldn't let Pitch on to the fact that they held two entirely different views on what's important, so he played along. "Of course it is. Effortless, indeed, but most certainly complex. Just because something's effortless doesn't mean that it's not challenging. At least, it sounds difficult to me."

"In what way?"

"How can you control nothing?"

"You don't. You merely lead people to believe you control… everything."

"So… are Dementors… nothing?"

"Dementors feed off peace, hope, and happiness and leave fear. Fear is what comes from the absence of this comfort. To say Dementors are fear is to say they merely take away anything good."

"I haven't seen them around Hogwarts, sir."

"Have you left the castle?"

Hiccup decided not to bring up his campout with Merida. "Care of Magical Creatures is always outside, often in the Forbidden Forest."

"The Dementors are stocked in the Forbidden Forest, not in the castle itself. However, the Dementors are under instruction not to go near students who don't show a threat, so Care of Magical Creatures is indeed protected. If not, let us hope that Professor Hofferson has her corporeal Patronus down, and hopefully a few of her more advanced students do as well."

"There are… Dementors in the Forbidden Forest?" Hiccup had been going to the forest every Saturday night at that pond where Toothless slept in the trees.

Yes, Toothless. He named the Night Fury "Toothless". Hiccup wasn't very creative with names. It seemed like one of the most identifiable traits of a Night Fury, so it was easy for Hiccup to consider that a name, or at least a term to ascribe to the dragon.

"Plenty. I don't suggest you go looking for them."

"Uh-huh. I mean, ah, yes sir, Mister Professor Pitch, sir."

Pitch cocked his head with that vile smile that hadn't left his face. "As a matter of fact, Hiccup, I could use your help with something." Shoot. That wasn't how it was supposed to turn out. "You can tame dragons, who are dangerous, life-threatening creatures. Perhaps you can train Dementors."

"Ah, I, uh, don't really think- dragons are actual creatures with a mind and blood running through their brains. Dementors… they're 'amortal', if you will, sir. They don't have cognitive abilities, so one can't get on an understanding with them. It's almost more practical to think of them as fire. You can't empathize with a flame, but you can control it. You can start it. You can end it. I know if Dementors don't feed off something for a while, they will fade. But they don't die, because they don't have a life in the first place. And Dementors can multiply. I don't know how, but it's been studied. Sir. But, imagine a fire just as big as you are. It'd be kind of hard to put out if you didn't have your wand for an _aguamenti_ spell. The fire could consume you much quicker than you could put it out."

"It seems you've put extensive studies into Dementors, Hiccup."

"I've never really thought about it. I've heard things about them here and there, you answered some of my questions, and I just tried to piece everything together as I talked about it, Professor Pitch." And Hiccup realized he'd given Pitch all the answers.

"Alas, Hiccup, you've learned an important lesson very early in life. Principles don't matter nearly as much as capability. It sounds you know everything you need to know to overpower Dementors, but you know, deep down, that you could never do it."

Hiccup was at first offended, but then realized that was a simple fact; no one could ever control Dementors. "Yeah, well, props to any witch or wizard who could."

Pitch smiled vilely. "A final question, if I may, Mister Haddock."

"Um, sure. Yes, sir, I'll see if I can help."

"Can you produce a Patronus?" Hiccup blushed. "Corporeal or non-corporeal, it doesn't matter."

"No. No, Professor Pitch, I can't."

"Do you know anyone who can? Any of your friends, perhaps?"

Hiccup didn't know if it would be safer to lie or tell the truth about his three closest friends' Patronus abilities. Better that Pitch underestimated them, so he stretched the truth. Without mentioning names, Pitch would know whom he was talking about. "Rarely. Only non-corporeal, sir."

"Ah. Shame. Now, I hate to be blunt, but I have paperwork to go through… still need to finish up grading these Auror essays. You've been a great help, Hiccup."

Hiccup had been trying to get information out of Pitch. He couldn't help feeling it had just been the other way around. Right before he closed the door on his way out, Hiccup heard a cold, frustrated mutter. "Hufflepuffs."

What really made Hiccup stop was the second voice that came from Pitch's office, even though he never saw another person. It was a woman's: cold and sharp, yet lulling. "Patience, my boy, patience. All good things to those who wait."

A chair scooted back. Pitch must've stood up. "Your boy? _Your?_ _Boy?_ I am my own person, thank-you, and am not a mere boy." Hiccup could imagine Pitch's snarl and hoped Pitch couldn't see the door cracked open a bit as Hiccup pressed against the wall next to it, listening. "I am the powerful one here. If anything, you belong to me."

A feminine chuckle rose, almost like low-toned bells chiming far away. "Of, course, _sir_, that is not at all what I meant. A motherly nature merely showing through. It's hard to keep up an act for so long and then drop it."

"It's hard to keep patience for so long."

"Ishmael, stop, you know how I feel about the mumbling. Blah, blah, blah. It's really quite irritating."

"We are not on first name terms!" The yell made Hiccup flinch, but he almost felt a little laugh in his mind. Ishmael Pitch?

"Just follow through with the plan." The woman's voice rang with such serenity it was ten times more intimidating than Pitch's outbursts. "And I promise you can use her whenever you please."

Small footsteps clicked to the door, and Hiccup knew the woman was coming. Twirling his wand of yew wood in his left hand, Hiccup racked his brain for a spell. There was only one he could think of, and it was pretty obvious. Hiccup would have to get the timing exactly right so Pitch didn't notice and the woman didn't call out…

For once, Hiccup was glad he was left-handed because the woman didn't see his left arm rise to create the spell. "_Confundo_," he whispered.

As the woman shook her thick black curls in confusion, Hiccup sprinted off quietly down the halls, still uncertain of his abilities. But that woman would never recall Hiccup's presence outside during that conversation.

* * *

Rapunzel tucked hair that had come loose from her braid back behind her ear. She'd spent forever researching stories about wizards who'd practically disappeared from the face of the earth, but didn't leave a dead body behind. Not confirmed deaths, just speculated vanishings happening around the year of her birth seventeen years ago up to now. She also looked a year in advanced in case he'd disappeared before her birth.

It didn't take long for her to figure out that there weren't any stories on her father. The security enforced by the Ministry for Magic in the wizarding world was infinitely more powerful than any security by any kingdom in the Muggle world. There was only one missing person report in the past twenty-five years about a missing baby girl, and Rapunzel was pretty sure that couldn't be her father.

She slammed the book shut. A random baby girl who was kidnapped from her royal family had absolutely nothing to do with Rapunzel's past.

There was no hope that her father merely disappeared. It was kind of obvious. The guy had abandoned her and her mother. Rapunzel didn't want to associate herself with that kind of a "man". If he didn't disappear, he left them. _Or he died_, she thought sullenly, feeling guilty at her anger towards a man she'd never met.

But researching death records? There were lots more deaths than there were disappearances. After all, the only disappearance in twenty-five years was that baby girl. But deaths? Thousands of wizards die everyday, from accidents, battles, or old age, if they're really lucky. Looking up every death of every wizard in the past seventeen years was impractical and, as much as she hated to admit it, impossible.

Rapunzel had already checked non-human creatures, to see if maybe her dad was a magical human being but not a wizard. For instance, there were girls called Veela known for their beauty, and apparently their hair had magical qualities and was used in some wands. She had a faint memory of the man she purchased her wand from, Mister Ollivander, mentioning her wand had a Veela hair. However, their hair didn't glow when they sang and didn't possess healing powers. Besides, all Veela were female. The only explanation would be Rapunzel's father's mother was a Veela, and that seemed a little far-fetched.

Rapunzel's searches through records in the library had been futile for the past six years, and this was her last year with access to magical records, the only way she could learn something about her father. And she couldn't find anything. Not only was her time running out, but it was also getting more rare. She had to study and prepare for NEWTs at the end of the year. When she did have free time, Rapunzel spent it searching in the library for information she was never going to find.

Rapunzel made up her mind. She could dwell on this man she would never meet or spend some time with her friends before she left Hogwarts for good. She'd continue her search later. Silently slipping out of the library, Rapunzel set off to Gryffindor Tower. Hopefully, she'd run into Merida, or at least another Gryffindor who could fetch her.

When she got to Gryffindor tower, a young boy, no older than a third year, was frantically trying to remember the password. "I know this!" whined the boy with mousy hair. "It's something weird, like lion heart, or heart of a lion in Latin."

The portrait of a fat lady chuckled. "What's the password?"

"Leonis cor?" Rapunzel found herself guessing.

The Fat Lady focused her attention on Rapunzel. "I don't recognize _you_."

"I'm a Ravenclaw."

"Didn't think you looked familiar. Now look what you've done, boy, you've given an outsider the key to enter our tower whenever they so will!"

"Um, if you don't want me to bother you, I won't; I was just looking for Prefect Merida DunBroch." The Fat Lady in the portrait glanced at Rapunzel's Head Girl badge and softened a little bit.

"You, boy, get the redhead."

"Wait," the mousy-haired boy said. "The seventh year with the _really_ big red hair who's Captain of Gryffindor Quidditch team is also a prefect?"

"That's Merida for you," Rapunzel giggled, proud of her best friend's accomplishments.

"I'll tell her a girl with insanely long blond hair is waiting outside. I probably won't need your name; she most likely knows who you are."

"Rapunzel."

"Gesundheit."

And a few minutes later, Merida came out of Gryffindor Tower. "Should I've grabbed the other Gryffindor prefects? I was wonderin'-"

"Oh, no, it's fine." Rapunzel waited until they were out of earshot from the Fat Lady portrait. "I just wanted to hang out with my friend, you know, and I had to pull the Head Girl card to get the Fat Lady to let me send for you."

Merida froze and gasped. "Rapunzel, yer not studyin' in yer free time?" She quickly pulled out a cherry-wood wand and pointed it at her best friend. "Who are ye an' what have ye done with me best friend?"

Giggling, Rapunzel pulled out her own wand of elm-wood. "I've kidnapped her! Taken her far, far away! And you can only have her back if you conquer me in a wizard's- err, witch's duel!"

In quite a contrast to Rapunzel's light giggle, Merida laughed with delight. "An' what are yer terms?"

"You can only use magic. Any type of magic, as long as it's approved by the Ministry for Magic. No killing or severely wounding one another. We duel to disarming."

Nodding, Merida noted, "I'm sure one o' the duelin' classrooms are open."

"Or…" Rapunzel tossed her braid. "We could go into the Forbidden Forest."

Merida cocked her head, confused, but excited. "Ye want to duel in the Forbidden Forest? I'm not protestin', but what's gotten into ye?"

"It's my last year at Hogwarts! I want to have fun. You aren't scared, are you?"

Merida ran off into the halls, and Rapunzel barreled after her. "Yer on, ye bird brain!" A play on the Ravenclaw emblem, an eagle, it had become Merida's nickname for Rapunzel, who just had to come up with one for Merida in return.

"Lion mane!" With Merida's wild hair and the Gryffindor emblem being a lion, Rapunzel always felt this nickname, as predictable and unwitty as it was, fit perfectly. Over the years, neither "bird brain" or "lion mane" had gotten old.

Merida turned around with a huge smile on her face and, flicking her wand, said, "_Aguamenti_!" A small jet of water spurted from Merida's wand to the floor right in front of Rapunzel's feet. She didn't have time to slow down and slipped, falling on her back.

"Hey!" Rapunzel sat up laughing. "No fair! We're still inside!"

Merida led the way to a secret passage that led outside of the castle, where they ran into the Forbidden Forest. Brandishing her wand, she asked, "Are ye ready?"

"Waiting on you."

"_Alarte Ascendare_!"

Rapunzel squealed as she shot up high into the sky. On her way down, she shouted, "_Everte Statum_!" Merida tumbled backwards into a pile of leaves that stuck all over her hair. Then, to slow her own fall, Rapunzel shouted "_Arresto Momentum_!"

Lights continued to flash and laughter exploded from the forest. Spells exchanged, but neither girl had an opportunity to successfully use the Disarming Charm. Merida chanted "_Incendio_!" to create a wall of fire, which would create excess smoke for her to hide from Rapunzel.

Rapunzel raised her wand to cast _aguamenti_, but the temperature dropped and the fire went out on its own. Wind flapped in Rapunzel's school robes. Shivering, she caught sight of Merida, who was clutching her arms and shivering, looking just as confused.

Rapunzel heard something behind her and turned, only to see a rank of Dementors far away flying toward them. Running over to Merida, she saw there were Dementors coming that way, too. They were coming from everywhere.

"Back to back!" Merida shouted, and Rapunzel complied. "Rapunzel, have ye ever done a successful Patronus Charm?"

Rapunzel shivered. "No, I haven't! Well, only once, and it was non-corporeal."

"That's good; ye can do it! Just try!"

There wasn't enough energy left in Rapunzel to even cry. "I can't!"

Merida sighed. "Neither o' us can do it alone!" The Dementors were getting closer. "But together, we can do it! C'mon, think o' messin' 'round at Hogwarts with Hiccup, Jack, an' me! Think o' bein' named Head Girl! Think o' somethin' happy! Be brave! Now, together!"

"_Expecto Patronum_!" the two of them shouted together.

A blinding silvery light erupted from Rapunzel's wand, and she felt a sudden warmth enveloping her. A chameleon burst from the tip of her wand and the Dementors flew away with a deafening shriek. Rapunzel glanced over her shoulder at Merida, who was laughing joyously. From Merida's wand, her usual huge silver bear had erupted, causing Dementors to retreat into the darkness.

"Merida! Merida! Did you see that! I made a corporeal Patronus! It was a chameleon, just like my pet back home, Pascal!" So euphoric, Rapunzel circled her wand a few times and cast the charm successfully once more. "Did you see that?"

Merida gathered Rapunzel in a big hug. "I told ye! I knew ye could do it!

"You were right!" Rapunzel squealed. Then, she thought of something. "My Patronus is a chameleon because of Pascal. Why is yours a bear?"

"Funny story… when I was younger, me mum an' I got into a fight, an' I accidently turned her into a bear." Rapunzel's face must've been pretty funny, because Merida just laughed. "Long story short, I changed her back an' now we're closer than ever. Me bear Patronus is kind o' like havin' me own mum for a Patronus, an' there's nothin' more powerful to protect ye from danger than a mama bear!"

Rapunzel laughed. "C'mon; we better get back to Hogwarts Castle before more Dementors come. I'm sure the forest is full of them."

Merida nodded. "We got to tell the boys everythin'! Do ye think this has to do with the Dementors Pitch stored on the train?"

Rapunzel nodded, recalling the way Jack had pushed her out of harm's way behind himself, his last act before taking on the Dementor, trying to protect her. It had been, in fact, the memory she used to cast the Patronus. "We need to find Jack and Hiccup and tell them everything," she confirmed.

And the two took off through the forest back to the castle.


	7. The Gathering & Greatest

"Hiccup!" Merida called, dashing down Hufflepuff table.

He glanced up, his mouth full of steak. "What?"

"Ye need to come with me. It's important."

Hiccup's friends looked at him with raised eyebrows, but Merida gave them a look. She assumed it was pretty serious, because all the boys, including Hiccup, got quiet. "Sure, Merida. One sec." He downed the remaining half of his goblet before leaving his dinner.

"Ye don't look like ye had that much to eat," Merida noted, walking briskly.

"There's always food for Hufflepuffs." Looking at him suspiciously, Merida opened her mouth to inquire, but he answered before she asked. "We smuggle food from the kitchen all the time. After all, the Basement is right down there. Anyway, what's up?"

"Rapunzel's gettin' Jack from Slytherin table. I want to wait until we're together to tell ye what's goin' on."

"Oh, I should probably mention I talked with Pitch today-"

"Ye did what?"

"Should probably wait to talk about it until we're all together." He gave her a maddening smile, and she elbowed him.

They walked in silence and met Rapunzel and Jack outside the Room of Requirement, just like Merida had instructed. "What's going on?" Jack said, confused. "Look, if this is about my Muggle parentage getting out, I appreciate the support, but if Slytherin House is going to mean to me, it's better than lying about what they really think and pretending to be accepting."

Merida blinked. "What are ye-?"

"Let's get in the Room of Requirement first," Rapunzel suggested, opening the door. The four of them entered swiftly. This time, the room appeared small and cramped, with four chairs all sitting around a table. Rapunzel sat on Merida's right and Hiccup on her left. Jack was across from her. Merida leaned across the table, sending a silent message that implied Jack should tell them the whole story.

Merida listened silently and with a regal poker face, like the one she saw so frequently worn by her own mother. Queen Elinor would sit unresponsive by the tattling Hamish, Hubert, and Harris; unfazed by King Fergus's recount of the battle with Mor'du; and unmoved by Merida's constant protest to marriage as soon as she finished her education at Hogwarts.

Jack finished his story with making new Hufflepuff friends and sharing the idea of a "Snow Cone" with Rapunzel and Merida. Rapunzel looked as intrigued as Merida felt. "I didn't leave the basement until it was time for dinner; then I rejoined my loving Slytherin roommates. They were cordial, but not their sarcastic, insulting selves."

"And while you were cracking jokes in Hufflepuff basement, I snuck down to Pitch's office," Hiccup added. "By the time I got out, it was almost time for dinner, so I just headed to the Great Hall."

"You were in Pitch's office?" Jack shrieked. "What were you doing?"

"Well… I was just so mad how he humiliated you like that and I went down to give him a piece of my mind. But, by the time I got down there, I'd chickened out. I'd already knocked on his door, so I brought up Dementors instead."

Merida sat up, her eyes like the blue flames of a hot fire. "What'd ye talk about?"

Hiccup told everyone the story, but mainly looked at Jack the whole time. "And I don't remember much about the lady, except she had curly black hair and a black cloak. It wasn't like a school robe or anything. It was almost like a blanket with a hood."

"I know what you're talking about," Rapunzel said, nodding. "Mother has a cloak just like that. Does it tie across the bottom of the neck?"

"Yeah! That kind of cloak."

Rapunzel nodded, and told her own story about dueling in the forest with Merida. Merida thought it was absolutely adorable as Rapunzel puffed out her tiny chest with pride, recounting her first corporeal Patronus. "By the time we reached the castle, dinner had started, so we agreed to split up, grab one of you, and meet back up here to tell you everything."

Merida was glad Rapunzel told the whole story, because that gave Merida time to think and piece everything together. Taking a deep breath, Merida admitted, "Pitch… I hate to say it, but he's smart. I'm not sayin' he sent the Dementors after Rapunzel an' me, but he purposefully put them in the Forbidden Forest."

"We know that for sure; he admitted that. He's just never answering why," Hiccup complained.

"No, I think he answered, just vaguely," Jack murmured. "I mean, 'power by fear is an effortless treasure'?"

"It's a lot to accuse him o', but I'm not denyin' it," Merida added. "But, why does Pitch want power?"

Rapunzel was the one to speak up. "Sometimes, people are just power-hungry. It's like asking why you're so adventurous and daring, Merida. That's just you. Some people are just power-hungry. The world is filled with cruel and selfish people. We're just sheltered from it. At least, that's what Mother said."

Jack and Rapunzel exchanged looks, at Merida felt a bubbling jealousy inside of her. She knew Rapunzel meant no harm, but Jack wasn't Rapunzel's best friend; Merida was. Sometimes, it felt like he knew secrets about Rapunzel that Merida would never unfold. It could really hurt sometimes.

"Well, Jack," she said, snagging his attention. "What do ye make o' all this?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's like some world domination plot or something. I can't make much more of it. It's all really confusing. I think if we figure out who the lady with the black cloak is, we might understand more about Pitch's 'dastardly plan', if you will. Besides, I'm really curious about her. We have bits and pieces of information here and there, but nothing about this random lady. Are you sure she wasn't a professor, Hiccup? You didn't hear her name or anything?"

"The only thing I know is she mentioned a motherly nature act and giving Pitch permission to use some girl in return for what she wants."

"That's despicable," Jack said, his thick eyebrows scrunching. "That little ba-"

"Language, Jack!" Rapunzel cut in.

Hiccup muttered, "That's nothing compared to living on an island of Vikings…"

Jack sighed. "What else could Pitch have meant? Hiccup, what were his exact words? I know you can't just recite every bit of the conversation word for word -"

"Man, words as creepy as those stick with you. 'Just follow through with the plan. And I promise you can use her whenever you please.' Those were her exact words."

"No context on the plan or 'her'?" Merida protested. Hiccup made a grim face and nodded. "Naturally. Hey, how tall was she? Do ye remember, Hiccup?"

"Well… she's over a head above me, and I'm a bit taller than you, Merida."

"Is she taller than me?" Jack straightened.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

"Dang it!"

"You know," Hiccup continued, "I'm not really that good with things like that: measuring height or age just by looking at the person."

"I'll admit," Rapunzel started, "I've always found Professor Pitch a little sketchy. Sure, Professor Dumbledore trusts him enough to work here, but Professor Pitch is always the one Professor Dumbledore has his eye on, and I'm sure for good reason. Especially after that Dementor experience on the train, I'm pretty sure Professor Pitch is up to something. This just all seems so unreal, like something you'd read in a book."

"Yeah, well, this isn't a book." Jack chuckled. "This is real life. Life is full of the unexpected. Just because something seems impossible doesn't mean it is."

Merida's stomach tightened ominously. "Well, what're we goin' to do anyway? Are we goin' to set up shifts where we take turns spyin' on Pitch an' unveil his evil plans to conquer the world once an' for all?"

"Ok, when you say it like that, it does sound pretty stupid," Jack admitted.

"But ye also have a point with things that seem impossible. Pitch is up to somethin'; we're sure of that. It could be nothin' to worry about, or it could be a big deal. I think we should keep doin' what we're doin'. Hiccup, play yer teacher-kiss-up game an' get as much as ye can out of Pitch."

"Naturally, that's my job, isn't it? Whoopee."

"Jack, ye keep gettin' on Pitch's bad side. Ye never know what information ye can get from someone's outburst o' fury. Plus, it'll give somethin' for Hiccup to 'bond' with Pitch over: how annoyin' that Jackson Frost can be. How arrogant that Jackson Frost can be! Hiccup, I like ye for the soul reason yer not Jackson Frost!"

"And… there goes my grade in Defense Against the Dark Arts," Jack mumbled.

"Jack, since when do you care about grades?" Rapunzel laughed.

Jack shrugged in an agreeing manner. "I just want to be able to pass my NEWTs and get to be an Auror."

"Jack, ye got that in the bag. I only got an "Exceeds Expectations" on me Defense Against the Dark Arts OWLs. Ye didn't even prepare and scored better than I did! Ye can do well in schoolwork and still give a professor hell."

"Plus, you're an expert at being defiant and getting on a teacher's nerves to the point where you're openly teasing them, but they can't do anything about it," Hiccup supplied.

"Oh, you should've seen me a few weeks ago…" Jack laughed and told the entire story about Pitch getting his diaper in a twist over Jack's sassy "sir" line, the detention with the good-intentioned Dumbledore, and the Cloak of Invisibility and the Marauder's Map. "I have it right here," he said, pulling it from his school robes. "I still can't figure out the password to lock it. The map is smart; I asked it for a hint, and it said 'M.M'. That's either initials or two words that start with an M… anyway, that's not important. The way Dumbledore stressed the Cloak of Invisibility was not an Invisibility Cloak was what got me curious. I… found Rapunzel early the next morning."

"Very early the next morning," Rapunzel muttered.

"Yeah. I knew she would know the difference between a Cloak of Invisibility and an Invisibility Cloak."

"There isn't one." Hiccup's voice rose like it was a question rather than a statement.

"Merida," Rapunzel started. "Remember before the Quidditch game yesterday, how Jack was reading _The Tale of the Three Brothers_, and it was about the Deathly Hallows?" Rapunzel then explained how there are many Invisibility Cloaks that lose power over time, but the Cloak of Invisibility is extremely more powerful, lasts forever, and is one of three alleged Deathly Hallows, one of which was given to each of the three brothers who outsmarted Death. She explained the powers of the other two Hallows, the Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone.

"That's just something I saw in Dumbledore's office," Jack said, ignoring Rapunzel's interjection of "_Professor_ Dumbledore". Twirling his own wand between his fingers, he said absentmindedly, "Researching the Hallows has just become a hobby of mine. It's interesting, right? It's nothing really that important, and there isn't even a confirmed existence. The story is all about the noblest Hallow or whatever."

_Still, it's really cool_, Merida thought. Out loud, she said, "Obviously, it's the _Elder_ Wand, which belonged to the _eldest_ brother. Age has power an' nobility."

Rapunzel whipped her head around so fast that her braid smacked Jack. She didn't seem to notice, but Jack smiled playfully. "It's called the Elder Wand because it's made of elder wood. It's not noble; one obtains the powers of the Wand by murdering-"

"I thought ye said disarmin' the previous owner could possibly be-"

"Yes, but you can't be certain. The Cloak is the noblest Hallow. It's about defense and keeping yourself safe."

Hiccup shook his head. "Um, no, the Cloak isn't that important. You always have your wand to protect yourself."

Merida nodded appreciatively. "Like I said, the Wand's the best."

"Well, you can defend yourself with any wand," Hiccup pointed out. "Even if the Elder Wand is the most powerful, is it likely you'll ever face it in real life? The Cloak and Wand are great, but the most unique is the Resurrection Stone. I've never heard of anything close to what that can do."

"Bringin' back those who've passed on? How is that noble?" Merida bit her tongue, suddenly thinking of Hiccup's mother.

It looked as if a small light went out in Hiccup's eyes. "It's not bringing them back. It's bringing them close to you. Just to have them there." One thing Merida was thankful for was that it wasn't in Hiccup's nature to call out people when they say offensive things to him. He never wanted to offend others by doing that, even when they well deserved it. That made Merida feel worse.

She had almost turned to Rapunzel to say the Cloak was a cowardly choice, but she didn't even have to bite her tongue to stop herself from saying such a cruel thing. Merida had both her parents and three little brothers she really did love deep down. Hiccup had his father, and that was it. Looking into Hiccup's eyes always made her feel terrible of the constant disagreements she had with her mother, but now, more than ever, she felt ashamed. "I can see yer point, Hiccup. I guess the story was supposed to teach ye that each Hallow has a strength an' weakness. It's all 'bout identifyin' yerself."

"With a Hallow?" Jack asked, who'd been absent from the conversation for a while, enjoying the three-way spat.

"Why not? Has anyone ever figured out the noblest Hallow? It'll always be in dispute," Rapunzel concluded. "It's like a spectrum. If you find the Wand the most important, you find the Cloak the least important, and vice versa. If you find the Stone the most important, you think the Wand and Cloak are equally pointless."

"Sounds legit," Hiccup confirmed.

"Well, the most important thing to me is this map," Jack said. "I've been looking at it during your debate, and I can't find Pitch anywhere."

Merida noticed Rapunzel didn't even correct Jack to say "Professor Pitch" anymore, the way she did with other professors, especially Dumbledore. "Are you sure?"

"I'm pretty certain. Take a look, Blondie."

Rapunzel grabbed the map and slipped it over to Merida so Hiccup could also peek over Merida's shoulder and see it as well. "He could be… in the bathroom or something," Hiccup tried.

"Um, the map can show you that." Jack pointed to the prefect bathrooms, where a few girls' names hovered. "Is it true that prefects have hot tubs in there?"

"And they throw parties in there, too," Hiccup added. "That's probably one going on right now."

"Dude! I wish I was a prefect!"

"You break all the rules anyway, Jack; you wouldn't stand for all the extra requirements you'd need to follow." Rapunzel smiled comfortingly to let him know he really wasn't missing out on too much.

Merida still searched the map intently. It was extremely disconcerting that a teacher would disappear off of the school map, unless it was Dumbledore, who did have occasional business trips and meetings with the Ministry of Magic. Merida located Dumbledore in his office. If Dumbledore was here, Pitch should be here.

"Don't get me wrong; if Pitch wants to leave the school, I'm fine with that, really. I'm only saying it makes you curious," Jack was reasoning with Hiccup.

Finally, Merida sighed. "Fine. Yer right. I can't find him anywhere."

"Ha!"

"I didn't doubt ye, I just… I don't know. Like ye said, this is makin' me curious, just as much as it is ye."

They sat in silence, staring at the map on the table. "Are we waiting for his name to reappear? We don't know how long that could take," Rapunzel muttered.

"Just a few more minutes." Jack was literally sitting on the edge of his seat, his wand tapping his pant leg. "Ha! There!" He smacked the map with the tip of his wand. "Pitch's coming into the castle from the Forbidden Forest! Mischief managed!"

And suddenly, the entire map disappeared, leaving a blank piece of parchment. "What just happened?" Merida asked, shaking the map to try to get it to reappear.

"It's the password that makes the map vanish so no one else can use it!" Jack was bouncing up and down excitedly. "Oh, wait, should I make the map appear again so we can follow Pitch?"

"Ye know what? Let's call it a night," Merida said, shrugging. "Dinner's probably not quite over yet, an' Rapunzel an' I haven't had anythin' to eat."

"Oh! Yeah, you girls should head down there," Hiccup said, getting up as well.

"And… I guess I'll just come with you, Hiccup. Does Hufflepuff Basement still have the Snow Cone machine?" Jack asked, eyes big.

"Up and running. I think I might actually try one with the flavoring this time."

"You didn't last time? C'mon, bro, you're missing out!"

* * *

Merida went to the library to study something for herself and not for school. That was a first. However, Merida still picked the thinnest book she could find when researching the Elder Wand. Naturally, the other Hallows were mentioned in it, but Merida skimmed over those parts.

Rapunzel had already told her everything the books mentioned on the Wand; it was fifteen inches of elder wood with a Threstral tail hair at the core, and had rounded bumps, like spheres, bulging from the wand that got smaller as they got closer to the top. Carvings like elder berries went up and down the Death Stick, a nickname for the Wand.

Merida gave up her search for information, but the thoughts of an all-powerful wand occupied her thoughts for the rest of the week. The whole "Master of Death" idea that came with it wasn't what interested her. The Wand just seemed… fun to own. It wasn't like she'd run off and be a serial killer with it or something stupid.

Later that week, in Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall was teaching the class how to multiply food to feed more people. According to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, one couldn't make food from nothing, so it was important to be able to multiply food if ever in a survival situation. McGonagall went to the back of the classroom, as if searching for something. "Oh, dear," she mumbled, and then her head snapped up with realization. "Ah! Miss DunBroch, could I ask you a favor?"

"Anythin', Professor."

"There's a package of food I had for today's lesson, but I never retrieved it from Professor Dumbledore's office. Would you run up there and fetch it for me?"

"I'm already on me way." Even though class had started a few minutes ago, Merida still was excited to stretch her legs and get out of the classroom, no matter how fun Transfiguration could be.

Upon reaching the Headmaster's office, Merida was surprised to see the staircase revealed. Climbing up cautiously, she head shouting coming from the office above. She reached the end of the stone staircase and stood outside yet a second door. It was simple, and something told Merida that if she tried to open it, no lock would prevent her from doing so. Still, to be polite, Merida raised her hand to knock, until she head Dumbledore's voice.

"Ishmael, I can no longer permit Dementors on student grounds. That is final."

_Ishmael Pitch_, Merida thought. Sure enough, Pitch's voice rang softly yet firmly, with a restrained anger. "Ah, but _Professor Dumbledore_." Merida could tell the title was an insult. "I've had parents come in and request them for the protection of their students." Merida knew that was bull. "One of them in particular was visiting the other day; a Muggle parent, in fact, is highly supportive of this."

"Muggle parents don't know what Dementors are like!"

"Albus! Don't tell me you're discriminating against Muggles! I thought you were very supportive, or at least tolerable, of Muggle-borns and Muggles alike! Why, in fact, you accepted that one Muggle-born Slytherin from America to your school just because the American schools wouldn't entertain the thought of a wizard of his descent! Indeed, if you show equality to the Muggle-born wizards, you should show equality to their Muggle parent or parents."

"Ignorance is not something to be discriminated by, and I am not implying anything of the sort. Ignorance is, however, most certainly necessary to take into account in this situation. How would a Muggle fully understand the pros and cons of Dementors when you are shoving your pro-Dementor beliefs down his or her neck?"

Merida laughed silently. It almost sounded like some politic debate.

Pitch, however, ignored Dumbledore. "Quite honestly, I'm surprised there still are wizards and witches in America after the Salem Witch Trials. Dark times, Albus, dark times! I'm sure Jackson Frost's Muggle ancestors were a part of the group that persecuted the wizards and witches, don't you suppose?"

"I can promise you that Jackson is a great wizard; even though his country looks to the past, I look to his future. The important thing is you get these Dementors back to Azkaban Prison! I can no longer tolerate them as a possible threat to my students."

"As I can't tolerate the students being without protection."

"The Dementors must go."

"And what would we tell concerned parents?"

"You can send them to speak with me. Dismissed, Ishmael."

As soon as Dumbledore said the word "dismissed", Merida began to knock on the door, interrupting Pitch's retort, so it wouldn't look like she'd been listening in. "A parent already?" Dumbledore laughed. "So you are backed up on this! Send them in."

Pitch opened the door and was quite surprised to see Merida glaring up at him. She tried to keep a poker face, because Pitch had no way of knowing her encounter with Dementors in the Forbidden Forest. But as Pitch whispered "_Legilimens_," the memory flashed before her as if she was reliving it, and Pitch smiled down at her.

Merida was horrified. Pitch was gifted in Legilimency, which was where one would enter the mind of someone else and read any thoughts, feelings, or memories. And Pitch knew that Merida and her friends were onto him.

"It's a student, Albus."

"Oh! Let them in anyway. I do not want to have to keep you longer than I have to, Professor Pitch. Please feel free to attend back to your classes."

"I have a free period."

"You may plan for your next class, then."

Merida waited for Pitch to argue. However, he nodded his greasy black head and swept out of the room. Dumbledore smiled. "What can I do for you, Miss DunBroch?"

"Professor McGonagall sent me to fetch a container o' food we're learnin' to multiply in Transfiguration, sir."

"A container of food, you say?"

"Yes, sir."

Dumbledore sat, staring at Merida for quite a bit of time, blinking suddenly as if he came out of a trance. "Ah, yes! Now I remember. The Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans that Minerva ordered!"

Merida scrunched up her face. Once, she got a dog food flavored bean and lost her liking for the candy ever since. "Yes, sir."

"Now, now, where did I put those?" Dumbledore said, getting up out of his desk chair. "Ah, why search? _Accio Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans_!"

Merida half hoped that he wouldn't find the beans, because they were absolutely disgusting and if ever faced with the choice between eating the beans or death by starvation, Merida would choose the latter. However, when Dumbledore flicked his wand carelessly in the air in summoning the candy, the action caught Merida's attention. Dumbledore's wand was a few inches over a foot made of a pale wood and had rounded bumps like spheres protruding up and down the wand that got smaller as they neared the top. It seemed to be indented with little circles, almost like elder berries.

The Every Flavor Beans soared from what had been a closed cabinet into Dumbledore's free hand. "That's, um, that's a cool wand, sir," Merida stuttered.

"Ah, yes, I agree. I won it in a duel."

"Ye killed somebody for a wand?"

"Oh, dear heavens, no girl! Don't you worry your pretty little red-haired head! I only defeated someone- a Dark Wizard, yes, but besides the point- and won the wand. Wands like these are rare, Miss DunBroch. You see, you defeat its previous master, and it belongs to you. There's a difference between owning and mastering a wand, you understand that?"

"Yes. Ownin' a wand is havin' it in yer possession. Masterin' it means it cooperates with ye an' ye can do greater magic with it."

"Precisely. I did not want to abandon my old wand from boyhood, as I was quite attached to it and it served me well, but I found this Wand served me even better than my original wand, which was hard to admit, but true."

"I've never seen a wand with little dents coverin' it up and down, or a wand with such pale wood."

"Ah. Yes, this wand is made of elder wood. Have you heard the saying-?"

"Wand of elder, never prosper," Merida quoted along with Dumbledore.

"Yes. That made me weary to use the wand, but it turned out to be quite excellent. I would not trade this wand for anything in the world… except perhaps a pair of thick, white woolen socks. One can never have too many socks, you know."

If Merida was bad at one thing, it was her poker face. She looked down to the floor to hide her curiosity in the wand and shuffled her feet. "Well… sounds like a wand worth fightin' for."

"Indeed it is. Fifteen feet of elder wood with a Threstral tail hair! No wand quite like it. Most powerful wand I have ever seen, that is for certain!"

Merida looked at Dumbledore slightly confused. It was as if he was trying to tell her that he owned the Elder Wand. In Dumbledore's light, breezy conversation and innocent smile, there was something burning behind his eyes, as if making sure she understood the importance of every word.

"Ah. Yes, well, I'd better get goin' an' take the beans to Professor McGonagall."

"Oh! Yes, yes, you must. I had almost forgotten." And in a quite non-Dumbledore action, he tossed the jar of beans across his office to Merida, who barely caught it. "And while you are here, I have a quick question. I need student input on something."

McGonagall could wait. "I'm listenin', sir."

"How do you feel about the Dementors staying at Hogwarts? I know you could hear a great part of the conversation I shared with Professor Pitch. I also know you are a Gryffindor, and even if I didn't, the scarlet-and-gold striped tie should be enough, don't you think?" Dumbledore did his notorious, endearing dry cackle. "Being a Gryffindor, if you feel that Hogwarts needs protection, I would definitely reconsider my standing in this matter. How safe do you think Hogwarts is, Miss DunBroch?"

However long Merida stood with her mouth open and her eyes bugging didn't matter. She swallowed to delay her actual response. "Um, well, sir, I heard ye talkin' to Professor Pitch an' I was wonderin' what do we need protection from? I've never been in danger before the Dementors. Why now? We're safe, considerin' we have great teachers like ye who protect Hogwarts with every fiber o' their bein', I'd say. I think havin' Dementors on ground is…" a terrible idea, she wanted to finish, but she altered her ending to be more respectful. "It's not the best thing for Hogwarts, ye see. It has more business endangerin' us than protectin' us."

"I feel the same way, Miss DunBroch. I just wanted to make sure the students and I were in agreement. Thank-you very much for your input."

Merida got up to leave, but she changed her mind and the last minute. Standing in front of Dumbledore's desk, she took a deep breath. She was a Gryffindor. She could talk about this. "Sir, I heard ye talkin' to Pitch 'bout lettin' Muggle-borns into Hogwarts when they aren't welcome in other places because other people can be bloody racist. An' I want to make sure ye also know that the students are in agreement with ye there, too. One of me best friends is a Muggle-born, an' he's more powerful than me, a pureblood, without even tryin'. Yer a great Headmaster. I'm goin' to consider ye a great inspiration an' I aspire to be like ye when I lead the DunBroch clan back home."

Dumbledore's face lit up into the brightest smile Merida had ever seen, and it would, in fact, be the brightest smile she'd ever see, the first image that would ever pop into her mind when she thought of the great Albus Dumbledore. "Why, Miss DunBroch, that is very, very kind of you. I remember your mother and father when they were at Hogwarts; he was a burly Gryffindor, she was a sensible Ravenclaw. They both brought out the best in one another, and I know for certain that any child coming from them will be a great leader." Dumbledore inhaled, as if carefully picking his words. "The throne belongs to you because you are the elder of your siblings, correct?"

Now, Merida really knew Dumbledore was up to something as he fiddled his wand in between his fingers. Why did Dumbledore make a point to say "elder" instead of "eldest"? "Yes, well, sir, the elder… can only be good if her parents, or masters, ye could call 'em, are good, right?"

Dumbledore winked. "Precisely." And when Merida reached the door, he posed a final inquiry. "Is that Muggle-born close friend of yours Jackson Frost?"

"Yes, sir."

"And your other closest friends…"

"Rapunzel Gothel an' Hiccup Haddock, sir."

"One from each house."

"Well, the Sortin' Hat said on our first day that all houses should come together for the good o' Hogwarts."

"Indeed. You must." It wasn't one of Dumbledore's cheery offhand comments, like woolen socks. It was something he really meant and needed Merida to understand fully, a statement of the upmost importance.

"Well, I can promise ye that me friends an' I will stick together through thick an' thin. Good day, Professor."

"Hurry on to Transfiguration, now; Professor McGonagall is waiting."

Sure enough, McGonagall asked Merida what took so long, and she told the truth; Dumbledore had been in a meeting with another teacher. It hadn't cut too much out of class time, though, so the Transfiguration class went smoothly.

Well, at least it did for everyone else. Merida was too disgusted by the beans and too confused by not only her own conversation with Dumbledore but Pitch's as well. It was almost as if Dumbledore trusted her more than Pitch. But, then, why keep Pitch on Hogwarts staff if he's so untrustworthy and dangerous to the staff?

Then, it hit Merida like a brick; keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Once she got out of Transfiguration, Merida had free period, which luckily, Rapunzel had as well. She found Rapunzel, as usual, burrowed behind a book in the library. "_Muffliato_," Merida whispered, and then proceeded to discuss the past "class" with Rapunzel in a state where no one would overhear them.

"Well? Doesn't it sound like he was aimin' to tell me somethin' 'bout Hallows an' such? He seemed to want to know Jack was me friend, as if he wanted to make sure I knew 'bout the Cloak an' maybe the map an' possibly Pitch because Jack hates Pitch an' if I'm friends with Jack, it'd make sense that we'd both hold a grudge an'-"

"Slow down, Merida! I understand where you're getting all this, and it does make sense, but would Professor Dumbledore…? Yes, yes he would. If anyone could figure out how to convey a message like that, or if anyone was even willing to go to such an extent to make sure only you would get it… yes. Professor Dumbledore would be the one who would try to give you hidden information like that. Did he mention anything about the Stone or Cloak?"

"No, but I didn't give him opportunity. If ye went to him an' beat around the bush for information 'bout the Cloak, he'd give it to ye, or Hiccup with the Stone."

"Why us?"

"We're four powerful wizards-"

"And witches!"

"-An' witches all from different houses. Plus… I don't know if I'm thinkin' too deeply into this, but… I think Dumbledore knows somethin' 'bout Jack."

"Professor Dumbledore," Rapunzel corrected. "But what do you mean?"

"Jack's from America, but he doesn't go to an American wizardin' school. Dumbledore said it's because American schools are against Muggle-borns, but why Jack? Of all the Muggle-borns, Jack? I honestly think the only reason Dumbledore was bein' so open with me about his wand an' the Dementors an' Pitch was because I was a friend of Jack's. He made it a point to confirm that we were close. There's somethin' powerful 'bout Jack, I've always been suspectin' it, but Dumbledore's makin' me think there's a whole other level to this. He's a powerful wizard, Rapunzel, don't deny it."

"I'm far from denying it; he's very powerful, and even though he doesn't try, he can conquer intense and complicated spells and magic. Even small parts of magic, like flying a broomstick; you saw how well he did at the Quidditch game. It's like he's meant to control the winds." Merida cocked her head. She had thought the exact same thing. "Jack was even the first to master Apparation tests. _He is very powerful_. The fact that Professor Dumbledore would take an interest in him when Professor Pitch is acting the way he is…"

"It can't mean anythin' good; yer absolutely right."


	8. Sectumsempra, Scarring, & Seer

Hiccup felt like he was punched in between the eyes when Astrid said the Care of Magical Creatures class was to learn how to lasso a dragon and tie him down. When Astrid rolled through the territory, paralyzing the poor dragon with her wand, blocking its fire, and attacking it at surprising angles, she naturally looked dazzling. But Hiccup couldn't tolerate it. It was just so… wrong.

He wanted to run into the cage and get the whole scene to stop, but he doubted himself. Besides, distracting Astrid could get her killed. It was just best to let her do what she knew how to do, what she did for a living before Hogwarts.

The dragon put up a good fight, but Astrid tied him down. She then undid the ropes and ducked out of the cage before the dragon could attack. "Ok, can everyone tell me the most important thing I did in there while trying to tie down the dragon?"

A Ravenclaw girl shouted from the front: "Misdirection. You made it think you were going to cut it, and it moved away from your knife right into the net you'd already set up."

"That's right. Five points for Ravenclaw. Now, this is harder than it looks. Dragons always know that the trick is going to be at your right, because nine out of ten people are right-handed. People who are left-handed have a better chance at tricking dragons, because dragons won't expect something to come from the left. Is anyone here left-handed?"

And, naturally, Hiccup was the only one to raise his hand. "Always remember to use that to your advantage, Hiccup. Now, let me tell you something interesting. You know how when you write a letter, you always lick an envelope to seal it before you send it? Well, if you're right-handed, you lick the envelope left to right. Left-handed people seal the envelope right to left. Dragons can also be right-pawed or left-pawed, and they will use their preferable paw to sweep you off the ground and rarely the other one. A quick way for you to tell if they are right- or left-pawed is if they breathe fire from left to right, they are right-pawed, and if they breathe fire from right to left, they're left pawed."

"Which side should we stay on?" a Hufflepuff next to Hiccup asked.

"Stay on the dominant side, which may sound weird, but it'll give you more time to protect yourself from a fire, because they'll start breathing from the other side. Also, it's hard for them to use the paw you're closest to, because they feel like it's cramped against them, or that it's more vulnerable because it's so close to you. Remember, they try to _sweep_ you off the ground. They need the wide range of motion in order for that to happen." Astrid clapped her hands. "Tomorrow- wait, today's Friday. On Monday, we're going to split into groups and try to tie down the dragon. Are you guys ready?"

Everyone hollered with excitement, but the beginner's adrenaline had long since faded from Hiccup. He just wanted to train the Night Fury all the time, but he could settle with tying down an Antipodean Opaleye.

No. No, he couldn't. He wasn't going to be able to tie a creature down like that. It made his gut turn inside out just to think about it. Despite the fact these dragons were forty feet long, they were also known to be the tamest. And the way it acted up when Astrid tried to tie it down…

All the students were already packing up because class was about to end, and Hiccup didn't realize Astrid had walked up to him. "Are you a little nervous, Hiccup?"

"What? Oh, no." Astrid gave him a pointed look. "Really, Professor Hofferson, I'm fine, but thank-you for asking."

"You looked a little disconcerted with my approach to the dragon. I know that's definitely not your method to control a dragon-"

Hiccup preferred the terms 'tame' or 'train'. They're living creatures with their own mind. He didn't control them. "Yeah, well, um, it just seems like a complicated, dangerous way to train a dragon. Why do we even have to learn that?"

"Well, anyone can intimidate a dragon, Hiccup. You can't teach people to do what you do. Plus, if there was ever an angry dragon- angry for whatever reason- and they were out attacking Muggles, we have to protect Muggles as well as keep them ignorant to these beasts. The calm approach wouldn't work, but the aggressive approach always does. It's like ground zero. Besides, if you were ever in a life-or-death situation, your first instinct wouldn't be to calm the dragon. It'd be fight-or-flight, and I really need to sharpen the class's 'fight' instinct if any of them want to go into studying dragons or any beast for that matter. It's how to stay safe."

Astrid gave him a pointed look, and Hiccup knew he was wearing his thoughts clear on his face. This was wrong. All wrong.

"Does it hurt the dragon? Does the dragon stay safe?"

"Hiccup, you don't understand. Dragons can be life-threatening. You saw that with the Chinese Fireball."

"That was because I tripped over her eggs. That was _my_ fault. The dragon only threatened my life because it thought I was threatening _her_ kids."

Her kids… _Yes,_ Hiccup thought. _Her. _It was obviously the first time Astrid heard anyone refer to a dragon as a he or she instead of an it. "Hiccup, please trust me. You need to learn this, and so do your classmates."

Astrid walked off, cutting off any possibility of further argument, and Hiccup could barely wait until dinner was over later that day to go into the Forbidden Forest. Sure, the fact that there were Dementors in there freaked him out, but he never encountered them before. Why should it make a difference now that he knows?

That night, Hiccup shivered in the late-autumn winds, and the chattering of his teeth hid the cracking of twigs and dry leaves underneath his feet. He made his way back to the familiar lake were the dragon slept in surrounding trees. Technically, at barely half an acre, it was more of a pond, but the water was so beautiful and reflective, Hiccup always thought of it as a lake. Besides, the term sounded better.

He was only kidding himself, he realized as he silently watched Toothless curl up on his familiar branch. He'd taken notes on everything there was to know about this dragon- the retractable teeth, the landing and takeoff, an even his obsession with rainbow trout- except the flight patterns, because this Night Fury (or any Night Fury, for that matter) flew way too fast for Hiccup to ever graph any of that.

Hiccup sucked in his gut but didn't dare to move. He was crouched in the branches of a tree across from Toothless, staring mesmerized as the dragon slept. The hour passed almost as soon as it started, and Toothless dove down to the lake to eat some fish for breakfast.

His slick black head thrust into the water so sharply, it caused droplets of water to fly everywhere. Hiccup got a bit misted and shivered. The water was so cold; it sucked the heat of Hiccup's body to the point where he felt like he was drowning, even though he was ten feet above the water. But the thought of drowning was nowhere near as scary as the look Hiccup received from Toothless, who heard Hiccup shiver.

"Crap…" Hiccup started backing up, which only later he realized was the stupidest idea ever: how do you back up when you're in a tree? Sure enough, he fell off his branch, and his school robes caught him. Toothless slowly inched toward Hiccup, smoke rising from the dragon's nostrils. Then, Toothless rammed himself into the tree, violently shaking Hiccup loose. He fell to the ground on his stomach, feeling as if his lungs had shattered and his ribs had knotted.

The Night Fury's growl had a soft resonance that snapped Hiccup back to reality, and Hiccup rolled to his feet. The one thing he knew was he needed to get out of there. The Dementors stocked in the forest were to keep out dangerous things, and a dragon attacking a frail, skinny, fish-bone of a boy was sure to alarm them.

Hiccup raised his right hand to Toothless, concealing his wand with his left hand. "Hey! Hey, down boy, down, down…"

Toothless snapped at Hiccup, who yelped, "_Aguamenti_!" Water burst from the tip of the wand, and the start of flames was quickly extinguished. Hiccup had really gotten lucky, but Toothless merely gave up trying any more blasts of fire, thinking it wouldn't work. Instead, Toothless raised his left paw back, ready to sweep Hiccup off the ground.

Great, Hiccup thought, we're both lefties.

Hiccup mostly got lucky as he jumped up into the air, pushing off of the jet-black scaly paw. As he flew up in the air, Hiccup stared right into the deep, soulful eyes of the beast. "_Stupefy_!" Although this spell only worked when there was more than one caster, Toothless went still for a second as Hiccup landed hard on the ground. His ankle bent underneath him, and he heard a faint snap. At first, he felt completely fine, but when he tried to get to his feet, he slipped right back down to the ground again, screaming.

Toothless snapped out of it immediately and advanced on Hiccup, who had no choice but to scoot back on his butt. He thought of something. It was crazy, but his only way to move. Hiccup started scooting to the lake and once given the opportunity, took a deep breath and collapsed into the water.

Hiccup was used to cold weather in Berk, but never being in the water during that cold weather. Hiccup's skin felt like it was tightening around his bones, but he put up with it. Praying that the lake was too reflective for the dragon to see through it if he swam deep enough, Hiccup kicked with his legs, careful not to propel his body with his ankles.

Slowly surfacing at a point behind the dragon in the lake, Hiccup had one last idea. In observing the eating patterns of a Night Fury, he'd discovered that Toothless hated eels. There was a spell where one could conjure a serpent, and hopefully Toothless would be too panicked to realize it wasn't an eel.

"_Sectumsempra_!" Hiccup shouted, pointing his wand in an upward slash at the tail of the dragon.

With a wail, the dragon collapsed to the ground. No snake had emerged from Hiccup's wand. He waited a second. Then two. A minute passed. Toothless wouldn't move. When Hiccup realized that he'd shouted the incorrect spell (_Serpensortia_ conjured serpents; quite frankly, he had no idea what he'd just stammered in the heat of the moment), he crawled out of the lake to assess the damage. On hand an knee, because his ankle was still busted, Hiccup crawled carefully along the shore of thick grass. Suddenly, his hand squished in a shallow mud puddle. Raising it to shake the mud off, Hiccup saw that it wasn't mud at all; it was blood. Dragon's blood. Dread filled Hiccup's veins, and he continued toward the dragon, hands and knees drenched in blood, his school robes trailing in the same thick red goo.

Getting closer to Toothless, Hiccup could hear a faint moaning, and, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could see the slow rise and fall of the sleek scaly body. Breathing. Toothless was still breathing.

"_Episky_," Hiccup chanted, pointed his wand at his sprained ankle. Another terrifying snap, and Hiccup was able to put weight on it. "_Lumos_," and a light appeared at the end of the yew wand.

Hiccup first looked to the far end of Toothless, the head. Hiccup could only see the back of it, but it looked fine, for the most part. Hiccup's green eyes traveled down the body of the dragon, across the wings as well. Everything seemed in order. Then, Hiccup saw the tail of the dragon. The entire left tail wing had been severed off, and the tail was sitting in a pile of its own blood.

"What have I done?" Hiccup muttered to himself, collapsing back into the puddle of blood. "What have I done?" And he broke down and cried. He allowed himself ten seconds to indulge. Fifteen. Then, he got up and ran. Every step coated his heart in another layer of lead; but what good would he do just staying there?

Hiccup was too panicked to even worry about being caught as he entered Hogwarts Castle. He ran below ground, where the floor of Hufflepuff Basement was. However, that's not where he was headed.

Hiccup collapsed upon reaching the kitchen. Luckily, not a single House Elf was there, except the one he trusted the most. "Mister Haddock, sir! Why does Dobby find his great friend sprawled out on the floor covered in blood? Oh, how much Dobby wants to help, sir! Is there anything in which Dobby is able to assist Mister Haddock?"

"Yeah, Dobby, I'm sorry to come to you this late, but I really need your help."

"Say no more! Dobby wants to help Mister Haddock! How nice Mister Haddock always is, treating House Elves in the kitchen with respect and equality, even helping them with cooking sometimes! Dobby desires to help Mister Haddock!"

"Just… could you get me some new clothes and wash these?"

"Whatever happened to the school robes of Mister Haddock?"

"I'd rather keep that to myself."

"But so much blood! How did Mister Haddock wound himself?"

"Dobby, I'm fine, and it's not my blood; it's not anybody's blood. It's… I messed up a spell I was practicing, ok? But nobody in Hogwarts is in any trouble."

"Dobby will wash Mister Haddock's school clothes! Oh, yes, he will get fresh ones right now! Dobby would be so honored to draw Mister Haddock's bath for him!"

"Oh, um, Dobby, you don't need to do that."

But sure enough, five minutes later, Hiccup was in a warm bath, and Dobby was leaving a fresh pair of folded school clothes on the chair beside the tub. "Can Dobby get Mister Haddock anything else?"

"You can do one more thing for me, Dobby. Don't tell anyone? Kind of embarrassing… messing up a spell like that-"

"Say no more! Dobby is trustworthy! Indeed, Mister Haddock can trust Dobby!"

And not even an hour later, Hiccup crawled into his bed, silently, not to wake any of his classmates. His mattress creaked underneath him, and Hiccup winced. The boy in the bed across from him mumbled something about King Muffin's Magic Marshmallow Crown of Wonder and turned over before resuming silence, except for the heavy breathing of slumber.

Tears streamed down Hiccup's face. It never took long for Hiccup to fall asleep, but tonight was an exception. Even in his sleep, he continued to mutter an occasional, "What have I done?"

* * *

Jack faced his partner in Defense Against the Dark Arts to practice nonverbal spells. Naturally, Pitch had paired Jack with one of the smartest and meanest racist purebloods in all of Hogwarts. Raising his wand, Jack tuned out of all the fighting around him and focused on his own duel. One thing he couldn't zone out of was Pitch's condescending face, supervising only this pair out of the entire class.

Jack's partner (Jack didn't even know his name, so he called him Bigfoot; quite fitting, to be truthful) whipped his wand, and an orange light flashed. A rope fixed around Jack's feet and pulled him off balance. He quickly recognized the spell as _Carpe Retractum_.

Thinking _Diffindo_, Jack shook his wand in an up and down motion, pointing at the rope. Once the rope was cut, Jack pointed his wand at Bigfoot and pressed his lips together, imagining multiple ropes tying the large student tightly. The _Incarcerus_ spell was successful, and Bigfoot was bound head to toe. Perfect comeback.

Pitch, however, didn't think so. "Too quick of an ending, Frost."

"If we ever really do encounter some dark wizards or witches, we're going to want to end it quick, not keep fighting them with pointless spells for entertainment. Delay the fight one second, and your death is one second closer." Jack pointed his wand at Bigfoot and thought _Diffindo_ once more, and an invisible knife slashed through the ropes to free Jack's opponent.

"But this is not real; this is class. I want to assess your skills and know exactly what you can and can't do, because I am sure that there is something you lack talent in. However am I supposed to help without knowing your weakness?"

"We can just go another round, Professor Pitch." Bigfoot was just getting to his feet, a look of guile illuminating his face.

"Very well. And, please, don't go to easy on Frost again. He needs to learn to handle harder enemies."

_Yep_, Jack thought to himself, eyeing Pitch and constructing a disrespectful comeback: _Because the one I'm dealing with isn't hard enough_.

Bigfoot could be bigoted toward Muggle-borns, but he'd never done anything specific to Jack. Not eager to make Bigfoot look like an idiot, Jack bit his lip and sent an apologetic gaze. Bigfoot looked extremely confused for a second as he hung in the air upside down by one foot.

"Hey!" Bigfoot shouted. "_Entomorphis_!"

Jack sidestepped, losing his concentration on his _Levicorpus_ jinx. "Nonverbal spells, remember?" he shouted, mainly thankful he'd escaped being turned into a bug.

Bigfoot crashed to the ground and whipped his wand out at Jack, slashing and pointing and flicking it like crazy. Multiple different colors of lights came flashing at Jack, whose eyes widened, acknowledging the monition burning in Bigfoot's eyes.

"You little Mudblood!" _flick_ "I'm going to curse you-" _slash_ "-so hard!"

Jack's mind was now shouting "_Protego_!" on autopilot. At this point, most of the duels around the class stopped to watch Bigfoot's rage unfold.

Unfortunately, Jack's strength began to waver. He found himself hurled back against the stony wall of the castle, sliding down onto the floor. "_Densaugo_!" Bigfoot shouted, and Jack found his two front teeth growing rapidly to resemble a beaver.

The kids guffawed across the classroom. "Nonverbal spells," Jack managed to moan before Bigfoot cast a final spell. It was nonverbal, like Jack had requested, but Bigfoot mouthed the word just to make sure Jack understood what was going on.

_Crucio_.

With a howl, Jack clawed at the ground beside him, curling his knees up to his chest. It felt as though someone was slowly twisting a rusty dagger into his stomach, as if all the bones in his appendages were being snapped in half and his skin was being branded over it, and just like someone was continually stepping on his face until his eyes popped out and his nose broke off.

Suddenly, the pain disappeared, or at least, the initial pain ceased. The aftershock still rang in his body, and Jack couldn't get himself to stop shaking. He breathed heavily, aware of the eerie quiet around him, as the class stared at him with an open mouth.

"This, Jack, is how a real dark wizard would fight you. This is what you need to prepare for." Pitch stepped over Bigfoot, who was sitting on the floor, looking around confused. "Class dismissed." Pitch prowled across the classroom and stood by the door, waving everyone out. Jack, however, didn't move. Bigfoot was still staring at Jack in utter bewilderment.

"How… I was in the air… and we were in the middle of the classroom…"

"Dude, stop it," Jack said, horrified. Something wasn't right.

"What just-? Oh, man, look at your arm."

Blood dripped from Jack's right forearm, which had slipped out of his robe when Jack had been thrashing around under the Cruciatus Curse. Cut into his arm was the word "Mudblood". Jack felt his blood getting warmer as it dripped to the floor with anger.

Students were still filing out of the classroom as Bigfoot crawled over to Jack to help him up. "What happened when we were dueling, man?" Bigfoot bent over to pick up Jack's wand, which had fell out of his hand when he was tortured.

Jack looked across the room and caught Pitch's eye. The wicked gaze didn't even try to lie. Right before Jack had cast _Levicorpus_ and suspended Bigfoot in the air, Bigfoot had a momentary look of confusion on his face. From that point until after the Cruciatus Curse had been lifted, Bigfoot wasn't fighting Jack. Bigfoot was under the Imperius Curse, a curse that another wizard had used to control Bigfoot's every movement with a soul purpose of torturing Jack. Whoever could that have been?

Jack marched out of the classroom infuriated. But when he got to the door, Jack did something that surprised himself. His wand was still in Bigfoot's hand, who was standing right behind him. Jack didn't have a wand or a word for Pitch, but, staring into Pitch's cold gold eyes, Jack was charitable enough to share a piece of his mind.

Pitch was blasted off his feet and flew across the classroom into another stony wall, with ten times the force Jack had experienced. Bigfoot gasped and held up the two wands in confusion. "Dude, Jack, did I just-?"

"No. Run." But Pitch had already seen Bigfoot holding two wands. And Pitch had deducted Jack could cast wandless, nonverbal magic. Bigfoot had already barreled out of the room, but Pitch was eyeing Jack with a newfound interest. Jack Frost was frozen. He couldn't move, couldn't think, and couldn't breathe. The only thing he saw was a smile curling upwards on Pitch's thin lips, and Jack was terrified.

Jack ran out of the classroom to retrieve his wand. "Hey, aren't you going to tell me what happened in there?" Bigfoot whacked Jack in the arm with an agitated look on his face.

"Ah, yeah, um, I… did some magic and you were… your reflexes kicked in and you just dueled automatically. It was incredible, really. Great job, man."

"I did not carve 'Mudblood' into your arm."

Jack winced, looking at his arm. Rapunzel could heal it easily, but _that_ was going to be hard to explain. "Um, I think the magic just recognized I was a… was a Mudblood and the magic itself carved it in my arm and… yeah." A guy like Bigfoot who thought purebloods were superior wizards to all others would have no trouble buying this theory.

Sure enough, Bigfoot's chest puffed with pride. "Yeah, well, you were a great opponent, dude. Hope I, uh, taught you some new dueling stuff you could use in the future."

"Oh-ho, it was a learning experience, definitely." Clapping Bigfoot on the shoulder, Jack took a turn down a different corridor. "See you around."

But when Jack got to the infirmary, Rapunzel wasn't there. Naturally, she'd be headed to some class, not waiting around to nurse injured students all day. Not trusting Madam Pomfrey with the real issue, Jack lied, saying he had a headache and felt a bit dehydrated and was wondering if there was a quick charm to make him feel better. Taking the purple pill, Jack left awkwardly.

He'd just have to wait until the end of the day to talk to her.

* * *

Rapunzel felt someone grab her shoulder. Whipping around in a panic, she melted when she saw it was only Jack. "Oh, hey!" She clutched her books tighter to her chest.

"Hey." He sounded out of breath. "Can I- would you come with me for a minute?" He gestured away from the crowded hallway.

"Um… ok." He grabbed her hand suddenly and began pulling her through the crowd, twisting and turning through hallways that became more and more silent and empty. Finally, they were all alone, but Jack kept steering further into the school to be sure. "Can I ask-?"

"I'm really sorry, but…" He paused. "I feel like such a jerk asking this."

Rapunzel's stomach did an ominous flip. "What?"

"Can you use your hair to heal my arm?"

Her shoulders slumped. "It doesn't make you a jerk to ask me if you can use my hair if you're really hurt. But, what happened to your- oh my goodness! Who did this?" Rapunzel's face twisted into a mixture of anger, protectiveness, and grief. She was going to pulverize whoever did this. Someone had taken a knife to Jack's right forearm and carved the word "Mudblood".

"Long or short version?"

"Medium."

"I was dueling in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Pitch put the Imperius Curse over the guy I was dueling with, and the guy totally pulverized me. For the finishing touch, the guy, still under Pitch's control, cast the Cruciatus Curse, and somehow cut this into my arm. Then, Pitch let the guy out from the Imperius Curse and dismissed class. Later, I- um, I told the dude he just got so carried away his instinct and adrenaline starting taking over and that must've been why he blacked out. He honestly doesn't remember anything."

"Did he see the M-word on your arm?"

"No."

"That was a little fast, Jack."

"Yes, he saw it. And I dismissed it by saying the magic of the Cruciatus Curse must've recognized that I'm not a pureblood and, well, a racist like that guy would believe anything like that."

"And you are absolutely positive he's under the Imperius Curse?"

"He isn't anymore, but he was then, yeah."

"Is there anything more?"

"Well… unless you want to hear every single spell cast from the time we started dueling sessions to the time I left the classroom."

Rapunzel tried a smile, because Jack was looking a bit panicky. Either he was still terrified from that experience, or he was freaked out about the one he was about to encounter. "It won't hurt, I promise."

"What?"

"My hair."

"Oh." His eyes lit up, and he didn't look a bit freaked out. He looked intrigued, and she couldn't blame him. It was a cool trick. She'd never sang in front of anyone except for her mother or unconscious people in the infirmary, so she felt uncomfortable. When she unwrapped her hair, Jack gasped, which didn't surprise her. Glowing hair with healing powers tends to shock people. But what Jack said shocked her even more: "It didn't work."

She grabbed his arm. The blood and cuts had healed, but a pale white scar still spelled "Mudblood", clear as day. "No, that's… impossible." She rewrapped his arm in her hair. "_Flower, gleam and glow, let your power shine_-"

"Rapunzel." She looked back up into his eyes. "It's ok."

"This has never happened. I just can't understand."

"Some magic is just too dark to reverse, I guess."

"But I've raised a squirrel from the dead!"

"The squirrel probably died a natural death, not a magic- and this is probably the first time a conversation like this has ever been held."

Rapunzel blushed. She'd successfully freaked him out. "Sorry."

"For resurrecting a squirrel?"

"No, I just… I can't believe I can't heal your arm."

"It probably doesn't work against curses, the most powerful dark magic. Or, at least the three Unforgivable Curses." Jack shrugged, as if this were no big deal, but Rapunzel suddenly felt threatened. She'd always lived in the fear that someone or something would try to hurt her to get her hair, but she had her hair to protect her, obviously. Now, her hair couldn't do everything…

"Yeah. No big deal, I guess. But your arm! Why would Professor Pitch do that?"

"Rapunzel, do me a favor? Don't call Pitch 'professor'. He doesn't deserve that respect, not from me, not from you, and not from anyone in the entire world."

"I-" Rapunzel never was able to bring herself to do that. Professors were called "professor", end of story. Other students did it, but she never dared. But Jack was most certainly right about one thing: if anyone didn't deserve it, it was Pitch, especially after what he did to Jack. "I'll never call him 'professor' again."

Jack smiled at her as if she were just an adorable little sister. The gaze was so sweet, but it sometimes drove her crazy. "Thanks, Rapunzel."

"Oh, and Jack, I should probably tell you something." She began to tell Jack everything that had happened to Merida in Transfiguration a few days ago, leaving out the part where Jack was an extra powerful wizard. That was a hypothetical idea that explained a lot but had no proof. Hopefully, Jack wouldn't pick up on the same things she and Merida had, or at least, wouldn't take them to such an extent.

"So he's admitting the Hallows exist? And that his wand-?"

"We don't know. He could have been implying it's the Elder Wand, but I'll never be fully convinced unless he starts hinting at the Stone or Cloak."

Jack nodded. "But even the slightest hint about either?"

"Then I'll believe."

Rapunzel suddenly found herself enveloped in a big hug. Jack always gave the best hugs, and she wrapped her arms around him as well. "Just wait, Blondie!"

"I'm prepared to be patient."

He laughed his laugh, which was, of course, the best laugh in the world. Rapunzel wasn't sure if she loved or hated these moments when her emotions took over. It was such a beautiful feeling, but so irrational. Jack broke away from the hug and held her shoulders. "I'm hungry. We should probably head back down to the Great Hall for dinner."

"Actually, I- I have to do something. Be right there." And she scurried away through the halls.

Rapunzel had been debating doing what she was doing since her talk with Merida about Jack, but it was the only way to find an explanation about Jack's attendance here at Hogwarts. It might get her the reason why Professor Dumbledore made a way for Jack to come all the way from America. If this didn't work, Rapunzel was back at square one.

She entered the North Tower, were the Divination Classroom was located. Knocking on a wooden door, Rapunzel called, "Professor Trelawney?"

The door swung open to reveal the frizzy-haired professor with thick circular glasses. "Why hello, my dear! I just finished my crystal ball gazing. How may I help you?"

Professor Trelawney always made Rapunzel a little uncomfortable. Besides the fact that she taught Divination, the most unstable magic discipline, Professor Trelawney was always hunched over, her hands close to her face as her fingers danced from scratching palms to intertwining to pointing around in the air. Her mouth always hung open when she didn't talk, and her eyes blinked once a minute, if even that.

"I was wondering how prophecies work. What do you look for inside a person to predict something about them?"

"Oh, dearie, that's foreseeing. Prophecies can only be told by a Seer, who is taken over by the powers of the Inner Eye."

"But they are still the future?" Rapunzel said, focusing on one specific line Merida quoted from Dumbledore: _I look to his future_.

"Well, that's what prophesying is, my girl!"

"So… have you ever told any prophecies?"

"A Seer cannot remember their prophecies, but another person present at the time of their deliverance can record it!"

"Has anyone ever told you they've heard you give a prophecy?"

"Dear Albus Dumbledore; he's heard multiple prophecies. In fact, I never knew it, but I prophesied one young wizard's fate, and Albus went to a great extent to secure his place at this school. I'm sure I've prophesied many more!"

"Who was it about?"

"Dear Dumbledore wouldn't tell me. He's never told me anything to protect me. The Inner Eye is a blessing that must be guarded and let free to speak, a tongue unbound!"

Rapunzel just stared. "Can you retell a prophecy? Or is it like once you speak it, that's all that will be heard of it?"

"They can be told only once."

"Can't you search your Inner Eye to find a prophecy you've once delivered?"

Professor Trelawney's eyes grew big. "Why, my dear, I've never tried! Come, come!" Rapunzel found herself dragged to a table, sitting across from a crystal ball. The professor's gangling fingers twirled around the ball without touching it.

"Do you-?" Rapunzel was going to ask if she knew what she was doing, but decided to rephrase the question to be more polite. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to find my most recent prophecy. The Inner Eye sees future; it must see past, too!" The mist in the crystal ball began to thicken, glowing an enchanting shade of silver. The room seemed to drop several degrees, but it wasn't like the cold of a Dementor. It was a weird chill that made Rapunzel happier and more excited as she watched a thin layer of ice coat the crystal ball. Finally, the silver mist inside the ball began clumping like clouds, and starting pulling away from the center ever so slowly. In the middle of the crystal ball was a bright full moon. It looked as if Rapunzel was watching the moon from underwater.

"Beautiful," Rapunzel murmured.

A bead of sweat actually dripped down Professor Trelawney's neck, and she began to go cross-eyed. "A- Amar- American… mug- Muggle-bore- Muggle-born…"

Rapunzel's eyes grew even bigger than they usually were. She was scared to breathe, in case it might ruin Professor Trelawney's concentration.

The Divination professor blinked, and a look of calm washed over her face. Her muscles relaxed, but she seemed a bit agitated. "Well, sweetheart, it's good I at least tried. But I guess it's impossible to retrieve prophecies from the Inner Eye once already delivered."

"But… the crystal ball!" Rapunzel looked down to see the moon had disappeared.

"Dearie, I tried, but I could conjure nothing." Rapunzel remembered that Professor Trelawney said one doesn't remember their prophecies, and that Professor Dumbledore kept them secret to protect her. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No, but thank-you, Professor. That's all I needed to know."

She _wanted_ to know more but didn't _need_ to. She knew Professor Dumbledore identified Jack as a very powerful wizard, and something, _something_, was going on…


	9. Protecting, Prying, & Plan

Merida shook her red curls out of her face. "An' even after hearin' that from Professor Trelawney, ye didn't tell Jack anythin'? I already told Hiccup yesterday-"

"Oh, oh dear; you better tell Hiccup not to tell Jack."

"Rapunzel, are ye crazy? Shouldn't he know?"

"Merida, how would you feel? Would you rather know nothing, or know that you know nothing?"

Merida felt her muscles clenching in frustration. "Yer makin' no sense."

"We aren't all as brave as you are!"

First that came from Hiccup with borrowing Hagrid's books to train the dragon, and now she was hearing it from Rapunzel with keeping secrets from Jack. "I'm sorry; what does that even have to do with anythin'?"

"We don't know anything. All we know- and this isn't even fact; it's deduction from the confusing magical drama of Hogwarts- is that Professor Trelawney made a prophecy regarding an American Muggle-born that must've traced back to Jack-"

"An' a misty moon or somethin' like that?"

"My best guess is it's related to astronomy. The position of a full moon during his birth or something… I dropped out of Divination, remember? I thought- and still think- it's one of the most unstable, random, fallible branches of magical study."

"Then how do ye explain this?"

"She said the 'Inner Eye' or whatever took over her, and I'm guessing that makes the ultimate difference on whether her prophetical insights are reliable or not."

"So if she doesn't remember anythin' she said, it makes it true?"

"That's what she said. Anyway, Professor Trelawney didn't 'hear' her own prophecy, the one about Jack, but Professor Dumbledore must've heard her first report. Then, he went to some extent to make sure Jack attended school here, in Scotland. He probably told Jack's family that America was biased on Muggle-born wizards due to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, which may or may not be true. Then, Jack would be attending school here, with Professor Dumbledore, who could then watch and protect Jack. I tried to find out what the prophecy was, but all I could get from Professor Trelawney was-"

"Ye told me. 'American Muggle-born' definition plus an image o' the moon in a crystal ball. But I still don't understand why ye won't tell Jack!"

"For whatever reason Professor Dumbledore hasn't told Jack!" Rapunzel hopped up and down, and her braid bounced around her. "He never told Professor Trelawney about her prophecies to protect her, and he's obviously never told Jack anything to protect him! Plus, there's the slight chance that we're wrong."

"That would be embarrassin'. Except for that small part where we're _not_ wrong, not by a long shot!"

"If Professor Dumbledore has never told Jack anything, why should we? What if we mess something up?"

Merida didn't agree with Rapunzel, but she did have to submit to Dumbledore. "Yer right. I don't agree with Dumbledore, but I'm goin' to do as he does. I'm goin' to find Hiccup an' tell him that he should not tell his best friend 'bout a prophecy depictin' his greatness."

"You don't have to agree with me, Merida. Just trust me."

"How 'bout this: if we find the full prophecy, we'll tell Jack everythin'. But for now? Oh, Rapunzel, don't interrupt! If yer so confident that it's not a big deal, ye'd be fine to tell him everythin' if it turns out to be."

"No, Merida, that's just it; I know it's a big thing!"

"Ye just want to protect him. The wizard who, accordion' to this prophecy, is probably more powerful than any o' us needs protection provided by us?"

"I don't understand why, I've told you, I'm just doing as Professor Dumbledore does!"

"But if we find out everythin' 'bout the prophecy ye'll tell him everythin'?" Merida's voice rose to make a point.

"Yes."

"Ye promise?"

A pause. Rapunzel closed her eyes in defeat. "Yes. Yes, I promise."

Merida felt a comfort in that. "Ok. I'll go find Hiccup an' tell him to keep his mouth shut."

"Thanks, Merida."

Merida nodded and left the library to find Hiccup. She had no idea where he could be in all of Hogwarts Castle, but she wanted to find him quick. Rapunzel was smart, and as much as Merida hated to admit it, probably knew what was best, even if Merida disagreed. She had to get to Hiccup before Jack did.

When she found Hiccup, he was pacing a corridor with Jack, but Jack was laughing at Hiccup about something. Knowing she couldn't wait any longer, she marched straight up to the two of them.

Jack saw her first and smiled. "Hey, Merida, what's up?"

"Nothin' much. Could I speak to Hiccup alone for a minute?"

Merida knew how Jack would take _that _kind of a request. "Why, certainly!" Jack clapped Hiccup's shoulder. "I'll be… over there." Pointing off in the opposite direction, Jack swaggered down the hall.

"Hey, Merida, what's up?" Hiccup copied Jack's words, except coming from him, they seemed a bit unnerved.

"Have ye told Jack anythin' 'bout him bein'… powerful, like I mentioned yesterday?"

"Well, you seemed as confused as I was about the whole thing; I was waiting for you and Rapunzel to gather more details on the thing before we told him something like, 'Hey. By the way, Dumbledore only accepted you to this school because you're a super powerful wizard and we think for no reason whatsoever you are needed to save the school from grave danger which is probably all due to some evil plan revolving around Pitch because we hate him, with the help of Dementors. Just thought you'd want to know that.' I mean-" Hiccup allowed himself to chuckle when Merida started giggling. "I was going to let you and Rapunzel figure everything out and then we'd tell him." Hiccup's eyes widened. "Do you know more about it?"

"Nothin'. Well…" Merida looked over Hiccup's shoulder at Jack, who was at the opposite end of the hall, pretending not to be sneaking peaks out of the corner of his eye at the two. "Hold me hand."

"Huh?"

"When Jack asks what we were doin', ye can say it was 'personal' an' he won't know what we were talkin' 'bout."

"What _are_ we talking about?" Hiccup's forehead wrinkled in bewilderment.

"Hand." He took hers. Merida then spoke with a light tone and a smile, flipping her hair occasionally to make it look convincing. She then told Hiccup everything about Rapunzel's meeting with Trelawney and how Rapunzel was convinced if Dumbledore kept the whole prophecy a secret, they should, too, to protect Jack. In fact, from Jack's point of view right now, it probably looked like they were doing nothing but flirting.

"You are a very, very cunning girl," Hiccup said, brushing a loose curl behind Merida's left ear.

"Nice touch."

"Thanks. But, yeah, I totally agree. I don't want Jack to be in any kind of danger, and if that incudes keeping secrets from him… I'll do anything to protect my friends. But as soon as we get some real solid proof, we will tell him everything? Ignorance can be the best shield sometimes, but it can also be a chink in armor."

"That sounds like somethin' Rapunzel would say."

"We've all rubbed off on one another the past few years."

Merida nodded. She loved having the excuse to hold Hiccup's hand and didn't want to stop, so she racked her brain for more to say on the subject of Jack. "What do ye think it could be? The prophecy 'bout Jack?

"Well, let's analyze the information. He fits the requirements of the prophecy- American, Muggle-born… the full moon was in some kind of special position according to astrology or something Rapunzel probably knows more about than either of us do… silvery fog inside of a crystal ball… was that part of an outlet for the prophecy?"

"I'm guessin'."

"Yeah, well, how do we get that prophecy? Come on, Merida, you've got to have a plan; you always do! You already put Jack and I on disrespect and kiss-up patrol with Pitch, respectively, and… well, you and Rapunzel can have the job to get to the bottom of this prophecy. You'd be the one to go to every length to get it, and Rapunzel could crack it, I'm sure."

"Ye haven't spoken a word to Pitch since we came up with that plan."

"Maybe so, but regarding the prophecy, I just really trust you-"

"Oh, now yer just sayin' that to get me to crack this prophecy."

"Well, you and Rapunzel are the only ones who can, and that's the truth. You know it. It's all about if you're up for it."

Merida sighed. She was always stubborn, but Hiccup could just get her to do anything. Or, at least, he could always keep her from saying no. "I'll try."

Hiccup squeezed her hand. "You'll succeed. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!" With an adorable, innocent smile, Hiccup waved as he set off down the hall to join Jack.

* * *

Jack shoved his best friend as they continued walking through the hallway. He couldn't believe this guy. "You're serious?"

"Jack, I'm just-"

"Hiccup! You're crazy! You have Merida, this awesome, free-spirited girl who's obviously into you, versus an unobtainable teacher? Besides, you're an activist for dragons, and she's all about dragon-abuse or tying them down or whatever."

"Jack, Merida's not into me."

Jack rolled his eyes. "And obviously neither is teacher. Plus, what did I just see back there, bro? You talking with Merida, and I quote, 'about something personal'?"

"Jack, please listen-"

"Don't you try to fool me!"

"Dude! Seriously."

"Man, I'm telling you, you are an idiot if you don't choose Merida. First of all, a teacher is a teacher. I know going for older women make you look like a stud-"

"I'm not going for her because she's an older woman, Jack!" Jack smiled. He'd successfully bugged Hiccup to the limit. Now, Jack would just sit and wait and watch Hiccup defend himself, spilling every bit of his girl dilemma. "She was my first crush, Jack! I'm not saying we're going to grow up, and… and get married and have thirty-seven children and skip off through a field of daisies into the sunset! I'm just saying I'm not over her!"

"But you know it's never going to happen."

"I cannot believe I confided to you in this."

"Well, man, you did."

"I was expecting a bit of advice from the chick master, ok? Not to be ripped down! Is that such a bad thing?" Hiccup spread his hands, and Jack winced, feeling incredibly guilty.

"Hiccup, you're right, and I'm sorry." Those last two words were hard to get out, and his voice cracked as he said them. But Jack really was sorry and knew it needed to be said. "But if you want my advice… Astrid's a teacher now. Even later on when you grow up, there's always going to be that student-teacher relationship between you two. It was a first crush, Hiccup, and only that. And, honestly, you two have totally different views on dragons. You already told me you're going to have trouble in class on Monday tying one down. And, if it's just nerves, you're a boss, Hiccup; I'm sure you can do it."

Hiccup's shoulders shrugged, and he grunted. "It's not that. I can tie down a dragon, I'm pretty certain of my capability. I just can't bring myself to do it, morally. Not after I c- after I could tame the Welsh Green."

Jack tried to read Hiccup's eyes, but there was a look Jack didn't recognize. "Ok. Well, besides that, look at Merida. Think about the way she looks at you, the way she listens to you. She doesn't listen to people!" Jack fought a laugh and hoped Hiccup didn't notice, but he probably did. "She connects with you in a way she connects with nobody else. I know you feel that way about her; I've seen how you look at her."

"Yeah, but she doesn't need a man. She's strong. She's brave. She's courageous. She's a future queen."

"And you're a future tribe leader, not to mention loyal, and trustworthy, and caring. So what she doesn't need a man? I agree with you on that one; Merida is more than completely capable of handling herself. But that doesn't mean she doesn't want you! No one is tough enough to venture through life completely alone."

"So even the magnificent, headstrong Jack Frost needs a girl, huh?"

"Don't turn the conversation to me and Rapunzel." It took Jack a second to realize what he'd said, and he paused in the middle of the hallway and face palmed, blushing redder than Merida's hair or the scarlet of Gryffindor house- whichever was redder.

Hiccup's eyes got huge. "Oh, man…"

"Shut up!"

"Ok, fine, I won't mess with you." Hiccup smiled deviously at Jack, who wanted nothing more than to just die, to just have a hole open up below his feet and drown in shame. "But… don't spare my feelings, Jack. Do you really think I even stand a chance?"

Glad to get the conversation on its original track, Jack inhaled slowly and began to walk down the hallway again. Hiccup followed. "Merida and you… wow."

"Exactly. That's why I try not to like her, because I know it will never happen."

"There's only a chance it won't, and it's not a big one. And you're ok with liking Astrid, which actually is never going to happen? If you ask me, you like Merida way more than Astrid, deep down. You like her so much more that the fear of getting rejected is so much greater. So you resort to crushing on Astrid, because you know, deep down, if you get rejected, you're not really going to get hurt."

"Dude. You sound like a girl."

'Uh… we're talking about man-pride. It's a very manly thing."

"Ok. Two manly men talking about manly things."

"Exactly. What's more manly than talking about chicks, bro?"

"And now that we've justified that…"

"Yeah. So, um, your man-pride recognizes that Merida's a much stronger girl and just doesn't want to get broken."

"My man-pride doesn't want to get broken. Not my heart."

"Of course. That'd be ludicrous."

"Just making sure we're on the same page."

Jack nodded, trying to sound a little more macho. "So, um, yeah. Don't be such a chicken. You dig her; you go for it. Simple as that."

"And how would Merida respond?"

Jack let his guard down for about ten seconds and quickly mumbled the affirmation. "She really likes you, dude. Trust me. True, most girls aren't damsels in distress, but sometimes, they just want to be with a guy, and she wants to be with you."

"And my 'man-pride' won't be shattered into little pieces."

Jack locked eyes with Hiccup. "No. It won't."

Hiccup nodded, and the two walked on in silence for a short while. Then, Hiccup said, "Hey, man, I've got to go do some homework. The Herbology professor is relentless with our workload."

"Yeah, go ahead; see you around."

Jack watched Hiccup jog down the hallways and sighed. How could Hiccup be so stupid? The girl he liked obviously liked him back, and meanwhile, Jack was stuck in the friend-zone with Rapunzel, being this brotherly figure to her. He really cared about her, and if that's what she needed, that's what he would be. He remembered his promise to help her find her father and decided to occupy himself in that.

The library might have something on magical records if Librarian Pince let Jack touch the books. Jack would be lucky if she let him breathe the same air as the rich parchment pages. He swung open the doors to the library and decided to try to find the books on his own without her help. Librarian Pince would just breathe down his neck the whole time if she knew he was in there.

Jack wasn't familiar with the library, and finding the books he needed took quite a while. Pulling the books with student records about twenty to thirty years before him off the shelf, Jack began flipping through, looking for a man that might hold some resemblance to Rapunzel. Big green eyes. Perfect blond hair. A splash of freckles across the nose. Anything.

He came across one of the more recent books and gasped. It was a picture of a woman, not a man, so it couldn't have been her father, but it sure as heck could have been her mother. She had luscious chocolate hair that was halfway down her back, but that was really the only difference. She had big green eyes and a face full of innocence and curiosity of the world. They even had the same tiny nose and thin pale lips, and she also wore a blue-and-bronze striped Ravenclaw tie. Maybe this girl was Rapunzel's aunt. If she had a brother, he would probably be Rapunzel's father. It was a stretch, but Jack glanced at that face in the picture one more time. It couldn't be a mere coincidence.

Quickly memorizing the name, Jack flipped through other records trying to find any siblings. The only thing that he could find was she was a Muggle-born who married a pureblood who was the king of some European kingdom called Corona, where she grew up as a villager. In fact, he found this information out quickly because it was thoroughly publicized that they had a baby daughter who had been kidnapped by the "Man in the Black Cloak". It had been about seventeen years and they still hadn't found their beloved "Lost Princess".

Jack scanned the shelves for records on magical people who lived in the kingdom of Corona hoping to find a man who shared the queen's maiden name. He couldn't find anything, which was disappointing to Jack on two levels: first, he knew he was getting close to finding Rapunzel's father and didn't want to fail her, and second, it was kind of fun stalking people. If this is what reading books in the library was like, Jack thought he better revaluate his opinion on this place.

Spotting a quill and a stack of fresh, blank parchment, Jack scribbled down the name of Rapunzel's hypothesized-aunt so he wouldn't forget it. Even if he couldn't find any more information on this woman, Rapunzel could, and that might get them a step closer to finding her father. He folded the paper, stuffed it in his school robes, and left the library with a new spring in his step. As soon as Jack found Rapunzel, he'd give her the paper, and the look of excitement in her eyes would be enough.

* * *

Hiccup felt bad about lying to Jack about the prophecy. Technically, that wasn't lying, that was just keeping information from him. Hiccup never, _ever_ in his life, kept information from Jack. Except the fact that he also liked Astrid, but then Jack in his all-wise counselor state revealed that Hiccup never actually liked her; besides, he'd eventually come clean with that.

Besides, this was a dangerous secret. But, like Merida had said, Rapunzel thought the secret was so dangerous that knowing it would put him in greater danger. While Hiccup couldn't fully wrap his mind around that, he could understand one thing: he would never, _ever_ in his life do anything to jeopardize Jack. And if that involved lying to protect him, as much as Hiccup hated it, then so be it.

Then there was the lie about going to finish his Herbology essay. He'd finished that last night, not being one to procrastinate homework. That was more Merida's thing. Jack's, too, if he even bothered with it.

No, Hiccup was going off into the forbidden forest to see the Night Fury he'd injured because he had no sense of sanity or self-protection or even mere rationality. But he did have a heart, and if there was anything Hiccup could do for Toothless, he'd do it. Sure, Toothless was probably really mad at him and wanted to kill him, but this just made Hiccup plow through the forest all the faster. He deserved it.

Hiccup found the lake and looked up at the sky above it, revealed in the break of the canopy of the trees, half expecting to see that familiar silver moon. Sure enough, the sun just blinded him.

He didn't know if he should've been relieved or scared when he saw Toothless laying in the same spot where half his tail got severed. Toothless wasn't laying in the same position, so that was probably a good sign. He was curled up, his tail tucked into his body. When dry leaves cracked underneath Hiccup's footsteps, the Night Fury looked up suddenly and narrowed his eyes with a low growl resonating in the back of his throat.

"It's ok, Toothless, it's ok. I'm not going to hurt you. See, look." Hiccup delicately pulled his wand from his robes with two fingers and flung it into a nearby bush, where he could retrieve it when he left the dragon later on.

As soon as that happened, the dragon blew a wall of fire, swinging his head from the right to the left. Hiccup dove behind a tree just in time and peaked out cautiously. "Hey, Toothless, we're both lefties. Did you know that? …Ok, you don't really know what that is and you don't care." Hiccup felt stupid; he was practically talking to himself while the Night Fury stared quite judgmentally.

"Ok, I'm going to start over with this conversational peace-making thing." Hiccup slowly walked toward Toothless in the same manner he'd done with that Welsh Green, and, in fact, the Chinese Fireball. Except, this time, Hiccup wasn't going to trip over any eggs. Toothless was a boy, so that wasn't really a possibility.

Wait. Toothless was a boy. What if the approaching process was totally different for male dragons than female dragons? Hiccup crossed his fingers, hoping that books on dragons were right saying females are more ferocious because they have eggs to protect.

Hiccup held up both his hands in a surrender gesture, so Toothless could see them clearly. "My name is Hiccup. I'm a wizard at that school over in that direction." Hiccup jerked his head in the way he was referring. "It's called Hogwarts, and it's especially for witches and wizards. One of the classes is with magical creatures, so I've actually… met a bunch of other dragons. Dragons like me. I'm a cool dude."

Toothless snorted. He actually snorted. "Hey!" Hiccup stomped his foot to the ground. "I am cool. I have a bunch of cool friends. Like, Merida. She's really brave and the captain of her Quidditch team. And Rapunzel. She's very intelligent and that's why she's Head Girl. And Jack. Jack's a very powerful wizard."

Toothless inclined his head, as if to ask, _Yeah, but how does having awesome friends make you their level?_

"They like me for… reasons I don't know but if people as awesome as them like me then that must make me worth something."

Hiccup experienced a condescending stare-down from those big, golden-green eyes and couldn't take it. He sat down on the ground feebly. "I have self-esteem issues."

Toothless inched toward Hiccup a little bit, and somehow, the nonviolent Viking knew it wasn't a threatening gesture. The dragon seemed to be saying: _Well, you're talking to a dragon. That's got to count for something._

Hiccup shook his head. Imagining dialogue with a dragon was crazy, but even if those weren't the exact words, the emotion behind the Night Fury's eyes was unmistakable. The dragon was very intelligent and very understanding and was trying to communicate. Besides, Toothless kind of knew he was vulnerable without half of his tail wing and assumed that if Hiccup wanted to attack, it would've happened by now.

"It does count for something that I'm sitting in front of and talking to a dragon I attacked. And, I swear, that was an accident. I was just trying to fling a snake at you and screamed the wrong spell.

Toothless just blinked, and Hiccup knew this wasn't what Toothless was thinking, but Hiccup still imagined the dragon saying: _Oh, dude, snakes are like eels. I hate eels. I'd let you cut the other half of my tail off rather than deal with a snake._

Loosening the black-and-yellow tie, Hiccup asked, "Can I see it? Your tail. Can I see your tail? Has it healed?"

Toothless obviously wouldn't understand Hiccup, who felt stupid for asking such a question. Suddenly, Toothless stood up and turned ninety degrees so he was facing sideways before sitting back down. Then, Toothless draped his tail over to the side of his body, the side facing Hiccup.

"Wait- can you actually understand me? If…" Hiccup's eyes widened, and, in spite of himself, he smiled. "If you can understand me, burn down that tree." Toothless opened his mouth and let out a jet of fire that disintegrated the bark, branches, and leaves of a rosemary tree, turning his head toward Hiccup with a slightly miffed expression.

Hiccup doubted Toothless could speak telepathically or something cliché like that- this wasn't a fairy tale. But the facial expressions and glares spoke loud and clear. _You asked to see my tail and I showed you it. Wasn't that proof enough? And why do you want to look at it? If you touch it, you can consider yourself a rosemary tree._

"I won't touch your tail. I just want to get close to it and see the damage. See how it's healed. You haven't left the lake, have you? No, I assume not. That's probably not safe to fly without that tail wing. I noticed it controls direction and maintains balance when I was observing flight patterns… yeah, I'm a stalker. I watched you while you slept to observe the Night Fury species- hey!" Hiccup rubbed his face, certain a red mark was appearing. "Did you just slap me with your tail?"

Toothless grinned that toothless grin that spoke loud and clear, no matter how quiet the Forbidden Forest was.

"Ok, so your tail is healed. Well, you still can't fly save you get a new wing. You know, I have this friend back home named Gobber who lost his right foot and left hand, and he had to build himself two prosthetics… and… a prosthetic is… like a new body part." Hiccup made eye contact with Toothless and began shaking his head. "Dude, no; I have no idea how to build a prosthetic. Besides, even if I did, it would be for humans, not dragons! I don't even have any materials, and… oh my gosh, don't look at me like that. I can't… I don't know how! Here, I'll take a look at your tail and see how unfixable it is."

So Hiccup glanced down at the sleek black tail. It was a long, straight, skinny tail with a symmetrical pair of wings at the bottom. Well, they would be symmetrical if the left wing wasn't missing. It was perfectly severed off, and the cut healed quickly and smoothly so it looked like there was no left tail wing in the first place.

"I'm sorry, Toothless. If I were Gobber, I could probably manage to fix something up, but I… ok, sure, I could try, but I would fail, and… no! I'm not going to try to build a tail wing, Toothless! It's not going to… for the last time, stop looking at me like that! You know what? Fine! I'll try. I'll try to build the little high-maintenance Toothless a pretty little prosthetic left tail wing, but it's just going to fail anyway, so don't get your hopes up!" Hiccup pulled the charcoal pen and notebook from a pocket inside his school robes and began taking measurements on the right tail wing, grumbling the whole time about the spoiled brat dragon.

Hiccup ran the calculations and discovered that actually building the wing would be the easy part. Getting it to work was a whole other story. A peg leg didn't need to really work; it just stood there while you leaned on it. This tail wing was a whole other story. Hiccup had to figure out how to make it contract and flex and how Toothless would be able to manipulate it, and, clearly, that was kind of impossible.

Jumping, Hiccup heard a loud, unsettling growl. Looking up into the big yellow eyes of Toothless, Hiccup understood that the growl wasn't from the throat; it was from the stomach. Hiccup stuffed the notebook and pen back into his robes.

"You want fish? Um… ok. I'm going to go get my wand, but don't worry. I won't hurt you." Hiccup walked over to that bush and plucked his wand from its branches. Hiccup kept his wand pointed at the lake as he stepped closer and closer to Toothless, and when Hiccup felt he was close enough, said, "_Accio fish_."

No less than ten fish flew from the lake and flopped around the shore. The sight was quite funny, but living the moment, Hiccup found it quite disconcerting. Toothless began snapping up fish whole, eating them live.

"That's disgusting," he murmured. But "disgusting" had just gotten started. Toothless walked over to Hiccup and spit something out of his mouth. Half of a chewed-up fish, covered in dragon slobber. Toothless bent his nose to the ground and nudged the uneaten half of fish to Hiccup, who got the message, but didn't want to believe it.

"You want me to eat the rest of it?" Toothless cocked his head and blinked, but the motion had an affirming gesture to it. "Um… ok." Growing up in a Viking village, Hiccup had eaten some pretty gross stuff, from cow's eyes to pig's blood, but a fish that he had just seem alive less than a minute ago, with fresh blood draining out of it… oh, man. Hiccup knew there was no getting out of this.

He gingerly scooped up the sleek blue-gray scout and closed his eyes, taking a small bite from the side and being careful to make it look ten times bigger than it actually was. The blood strangled his tongue. The muscles had an uncooked tenderness that made Hiccup want to vomit on the spot, but he struggled and kept the food down.

"Delicious," Hiccup choked. "But you're hungrier than I am. Here, have the rest." Tossing the fish up to Toothless, the Night Fury caught it in midair and swallowed the rest whole.

Hiccup watched Toothless eat the fish Hiccup summoned and felt terrible. Toothless couldn't fly and couldn't catch his own dinner. Hiccup guessed the dragon couldn't lean over the lake and balance without his tail, which meant Toothless didn't even have anything to drink. "Toothless! You want water? _Aguamenti_." The pure water that sprouted from Hiccup's wand into the mouth of Toothless made Hiccup realize that Toothless was dependent on something or someone without that half of a tail wing. Toothless needed Hiccup to get food and water for him, and even build a prosthetic tail that wouldn't even work.

Unless…

Hiccup took the notebook and pen out once more and ran some calculations. One thing was for sure: Hiccup could make a left tail wing that would work so the dragon could fly again. But the wing needed someone to operate it. Someone to fly on the back of Toothless and operate extensions and contractions, maybe with reigns or… a saddle with stirrups, where the left stirrup operates the left tail wing. Hiccup's hand flew like Toothless would eventually be able to as he calculated a wing-and-saddle contraption that would just have to work. It was the only thing that could work.

The one problem was getting Toothless to let Hiccup ride on his back.

Hiccup stared up at the magnificent jet-black scaly dragon and sighed. Toothless had a heart of gold. But why would Toothless trust someone to ride on his back, especially the guy who severed the tail wing in the first place?

Pushing his stringy brown hair from his face, Hiccup decided to just take it day-by-day. He'd build that contraption, for sure, and it would work great. Hiccup would see to that. Somehow, he'd get the materials… Dobby would probably be a help in that. But when Hiccup wasn't building the tail wing, he'd be building trust with Toothless.

Glancing up into the sky, Hiccup was shocked to see a massive crimson sun setting in the equator of a pink sky. The day had gone by so fast!

Toothless was curling up in his original position that Hiccup had found him in, and Hiccup smiled. "Toothless." The big black head poked up. "I've got to get going. I'll try to see you every night to feed you, but the visits will be really, really short." Hiccup stood slowly and brushed the leaves off his robes. "And I'm going to work really hard on building that prosthetic tail wing. It's going to be a little different that you're expecting, but it will work. You're just going to have to trust me. Ok?"

Toothless gave that doubting snort that didn't try to hide any undertones of mockery and rested his head back down onto the ground.

"Ok," Hiccup concluded for himself, starting to tread back through the forest. He started going slowly in reflection, but then quickened his pace, remembering there were Dementors in the forest. Hiccup was working on a theory. He wasn't sure if it was true, and he had no idea how he came up with it, but it was something to explain the problem.

Why did Hiccup never encounter Dementors when he was in the Forbidden Forest?

Well, the majority of the time, Hiccup was with Toothless, a Night Fury. Night Furies are exceptional dragons, and that's a known fact. They fly so fast they just look like a beam of light soaring through the air. They can understand humans, and they can express basic messages through emotions they show on their faces.

It would make sense that even though normal dragons don't have the ability, a Night Fury might radiate some power that warded off Dementors. It seemed a little far-fetched, but it was the only thing that made sense.

However, Hiccup wasn't going to take any more chances in that forest. He was going to learn how to cast a Patronus. And, ok, it was more than just protecting himself. Merida could do a bear Patronus, Rapunzel could do a chameleon Patronus, and Jack's Patronus was a six-foot-one bunny that could throw boomerangs for whatever reason. Hiccup couldn't even do a non-corporeal Patronus, and that was slightly embarrassing.

A Patronus was a life-skill for protection, and if he and his friends were onto something with Pitch, they might need that protection from his Dementors super soon. Hiccup cringed, remembering his ill-filled duty to kiss-up to Pitch in hopes to obtain some kind of information. Promising himself to do so soon, Hiccup headed to dinner.


	10. Eavesdropping & Errands

Merida tightened her scarlet-and-gold scarf as she waited outside Ravenclaw Tower "C'mon, Rapunzel, do ye want to be late for Hogsmeade?" she asked, irritated but slightly amused.

"Sorry. I just got caught up in this book and… well, I'm here now. Where are the guys? Are they late too?"

"I- ah, I sent them off without us. Thought it'd be nice, just the two o' us, walkin' there together."

"Sounds like fun!" Rapunzel looped her arm through Merida's. "I just hope I didn't make them upset, taking so long."

"Oh, no, ye could never make them mad. Those boys pretend to be all tough, but they have hearts o' gold."

Rapunzel giggled. "They really do. Do you think Christmas decorations will be up by now in Hogsmeade?"

"I'm only hopin'. It's our last school trip before winter break." Merida glanced over at Rapunzel. "We only have one more week, ye know."

"That's right! I nearly forgot. I'm glad Mother let me stay in the end."

"For the holidays?"

"No. Well, I'm glad about that too, but I meant for the next semester. She wanted to pull me out of school since the beginning of this year, and I convinced her to let me finish the semester, and then I had to convince her to let me stay the second one, as well."

"Why would she want to take ye out?"

"She kept writing by Owl Post, just wanting to keep me home."

"Yeah, but why?"

"Her own reasons, I guess."

Merida led the way to a secret exit inside Hogwarts walls that led to Hogsmeade and began creeping through the tunnel, not really satisfied with Rapunzel's answer, but getting the hint that she didn't want to talk about it. "What were ye readin' when I came an' got ye?"

"Oh, um… just some school records. It's going to sound stupid, but I'm trying to find my father."

"I thought ye gave up on that after first year. Still keepin' up at it?" Receiving a nod, Merida set her jaw. "That's good. I didn't want to press ye 'bout it, but I always hoped ye'd never give up. Are ye close?"

"I don't know. See, Jack was helping me in finding my father, and-"

"Ye included Jack on this but ye didn't include me?" Merida spat out before she could control herself. It was stupid, but she was really getting jealous of Jack and all the time he and Rapunzel spent alone together. She tried to compensate with Hiccup, but even he was being secretive about everything he was doing. Even when she'd ask him about Pitch, Hiccup would say that no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get Pitch to talk the way he'd talked before. Hiccup could only get information out of Pitch if he had something to give in return, and he had nothing more.

The guy she liked didn't seem to care about her any more than any other girl, her best friend was spending so much time away with their other guy friend, and that other guy friend was just beating her at everything from Quidditch to Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Merida hated complaining, but she was just feeling so left out and worthless lately. She'd sent Jack and Hiccup ahead before her and Rapunzel to Hogsmeade for a reason.

Rapunzel innocently blinked, not picking up on anything. "Yeah. He noticed me really stressed out, and he knew it wasn't schoolwork, so he wanted to help."

"I want to help ye!"

"Really?" Rapunzel just beamed, and Merida felt sick, like her head was shrinking and her stomach was swelling, like the sensation her mum had described upon becoming a bear. "That'd be great!"

Merida breathed in slowly, deciding she was just going to have to be brutally honest here. "Yer spendin' so much more time with Jack than with me, an' it kind o' hurts. I wish we could be sharin' secrets an' trustin' each other like we used to do when we were wee first years. I'm happy things are goin' great for ye and Jack, but I can't help but be jealous when Hiccup isn't pickin' up on any o' my hints. He just doesn't like me that way, an' I can't tell ye that because yer always off with Jack."

Rapunzel put her hand to her chest. "Merida! I'm so sorry! I just wish you'd have told me. If I'd recognized it then, I would've stopped, I really would've. You know that, right?"

"But I don't want to tell ye. It just makes ye feel all upset an' guilty, an' I hate seein' ye like that. I just want ye to spend a little bit more time with me."

Rapunzel gave Merida a big hug, who couldn't help but return the embrace. "Of course! Like today. In Hogsmeade. It's just going to be you and me. I promise."

"An' if I want to be a little more included, do ye think ye can tell me how yer doin' on searchin' for yer dad so I can help?"

"Well, Jack was looking through old records and he found a woman who looks exactly like me. He showed me the picture, and I admit it; she has brown hair that's about as long as yours, Merida, but straight; but other than that, she looks exactly like me. Jack was thinking she might be related to my father, so we're tracing her family lines. She married into royalty in a kingdom called Corona, so family records weren't that hard to find. Well, Jack thought so, but…"

"Jack's just a good ole bloke, ain't he?"

Rapunzel's braid danced as she laughed. "The thing is, I can't find many male relatives. She doesn't have brothers, her male cousins are about fifteen years older than me, so that couldn't work… oh, that hopefully doesn't work. Besides, she's Muggle-born. A Muggle-born witch or wizard is rare enough, but imagine a brother and a sister being born into a family of Muggles and both being magical. Even if a Muggle-born witch or wizard has an identical twin, the chance of the twin also being magical isn't high. And that woman can't be my father, because…"

"Ye don't think any magic can explain that."

"Exactly. But that woman just looks so, so much like me. Merida, it's unreal. It's like the way you look like your father."

"Excuse me?" Merida laughed.

"No! I mean, you both have wild red hair and a crazy optimistic smile and a funky, spirited personality… and you guys have the same ears. It's insane."

"I always thought me ears were like me mum's."

"Your parents have pretty similar ears, I guess."

Reaching the exit of the secret passageway, Merida climbed out into a store of Hogsmeade, reaching a hand out to Rapunzel to help her up. "That sounds interestin'. An' what ye two probably need is a fresh set of eyes to be searchin' for information. I'd probably be able to find somethin' new. An' Hiccup, too. The more to help ye find yer dad, the quicker it will go."

"Thanks, Merida. I really appreciate it." Rapunzel pointed to a shop underneath a banner that read: _Merry Christmas: 1672._ "Let's go to Madam Puddifoot's Teashop."

"Are ye talkin' 'bout the tacky, pink, frilly, uptight tea place stuffed with lovers?"

"So we know Jack and Hiccup won't be in there. Just some time for the two of us to grab a cup of tea and talk. Hang out together."

"Ye know what? I kind o' hope we'd see them in there, because that'd be hilarious."

"Just watch them be in here," Rapunzel whispered as the bell tingled, announcing the opening of the teashop's door. "Bummer. Don't see them."

The girls giggled, and a few minutes later, were settled at a little table against the wall sipping tea. "Can't wait for Christmas. Me mum was surprisingly agreeable with lettin' me stay the holidays."

"Well, that makes one of us, but that's great. It's our last Christmas together."

"We can visit each other after graduatin', ye know."

"Yeah, but I'm moving, really far away. Mother won't tell me where."

"I can still write ye. Owls are pretty intelligent. They can find anybody."

"Really?"

"Of course." The bell above the teashop's entrance tinkled obnoxiously announcing more customers as Merida scoffed. "The tea's amazin', but this place's so…"

"I know. Trust me; you so don't want to come here on Valentine's Day!"

"Have ye been with Jack?"

"Come on, Merida! You and I both know how the guys avoid us like crazy every year on Valentine's Day!"

"When have ye been?"

"Once. It was fourth year, and I was going to grab a coffee to go because I was cold and thirsty. They make excellent coffee here, too. It was so awkward in here; everyone was so-" Rapunzel clutched her teacup tighter, and bent her head at an angle.

"What?" Merida hissed, taking a hint from Rapunzel to quiet down and stay unnoticed.

"Professor- I mean, Pitch just sat down across the shop, right by the door."

"Now we can't get out o' here," Merida said, maybe even slightly more miffed about that than the fact Pitch was in the same room. "An' way to go, not callin' Pitch 'professor'."

Rapunzel blushed. "And he's with a lady in a black cloak like the one Hiccup described. It really is just like Mother's cloak. They're talking about something really important. You can see it on their faces."

Merida suddenly thought of something. "I confiscated these from Mac before our Quidditch match against Ravenclaw. They're Extendable Ears. Ye can use them to overhear other's conversations, or plays for a Quidditch match."

"Was he using them to cheat?" Rapunzel gasped, affronted.

"He was tryin'. I confiscated them before he could use them."

Merida pulled the flesh-colored strings from her school robes, and Rapunzel took one. "Do you know how they work?"

"I saw him stickin' one end in his ear."

"Do you try to get the other end as close to them as possible?"

"Worth a shot." They rolled out their strings and Merida tossed the end of hers across the floor subtly so that it landed a few feet away from the legs of Pitch's table. Rapunzel held the other end of her own string out to Merida, and Merida chuckled and threw Rapunzel's string as well.

"Dumbledore's a coot, my lady. Surely you've caught onto that. But I will get her for you if you let me use her as well." The lady just sipped her tea and nodded, flipping her hand in a no-big-deal gesture. "But that's not all," Pitch continued. "We had a grander deal. Those people you want to… do away with. The Dementor's Kiss."

Rapunzel was so shocked she dropped her end of the extendable ear. Merida heard a cold, low woman's voice lull ominously. "They are the two people with the highest chance of taking her from us. I don't see why you would require a price in helping not only me, but yourself."

The woman took a sip of her tea, and Merida was appalled at her perfect straight posture and the dainty way she crossed her ankles under the table. Rapunzel finally fumbled the string back into her ear as Pitch nodded. "Do not give me that look. I'd like to see a Squib try to get Dementors to do their bidding. You can't even see them."

The woman hissed, "Like you can control them?" The hiss was so strong and evil, it didn't even sound like her own voice. Rapunzel wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion.

"I am almost there. I acquire one more thing, and I need your help in getting it. If you can help me obtain this, I will return the girl to you, so long as you let me use her, and command the Dementors to give the fatal kiss to the people who get in our way."

Rapunzel threw her end of her string on the table, scandalized at the whole "use the girl" talk. Merida could tell it was disgusting and offending her, as Rapunzel gave her a look that clearly read, "This is sick!"

"What do you need and how can I help you get it?" the woman murmured.

"Put the bloody Extendable Ear back in," Merida whispered, and Rapunzel held the string with a quivering hand and put it in just as Pitch started talking.

"I need the girl to steal the Elder Wand from him. In order to do that, she must overpower him. This may involve disarming, or simply killing. I'll probably just Imperius her to carry out the deed. Then, I will overpower her and possess the Wand. She'll still work dead, won't she?"

After Pitch's speech, Rapunzel pulled the string out of her ear for the final time and began rolling it back up. "I can't take this," she muttered. "It's sick."

Merida wanted to do the same, but she held her will a little longer. "If you Imperius her to disarm him, then she never really disarmed him; you did. Wouldn't you still be the Master of the Wand? I'm fairly sure she'll work dead, but not absolutely certain. I don't want to risk killing her if not necessary. But, after all, the flower still worked after the soldiers picked it."

"You're right, and I won't take that action unless necessary. I just want you to know this could be at stake here."

"And you have to have this Wand to control Dementors?"

"Dementors respect one thing: power. And this Wand is it."

"Very well. But, regardless of my permission, you would have done whatever you wanted with my precious flower, wouldn't you?" The woman's voice dripped sickly.

"Guilty as charged." The two rose from the table, leaving their half-drunk teas to grow cold. Pitch left a couple of Sickles on the table and left.

"Well?" Rapunzel asked. "I'm sorry; I couldn't handle to hear the conversation itself, but tell me what they said after I lost it."

"They might not have to kill her; if she's under the Imperius Curse while overpowerin' the current owner of the Wand, the Wand's power might just go to Pitch. He needs the Wand because it's powerful, an' Dementors respect power, an' only power. Then, they started usin' code terms or somethin' 'bout a flower an' soldiers. Oh, an' they won't kill the girl unless necessary."

"Well, that makes it all ok, doesn't it?" Rapunzel grumbled sarcastically. "But that woman's voice… she was talking in this hissing whisper-like tone when I heard her, so I didn't really hear her voice. It just… I should know that."

"I've never heard anyone at school soundin' anythin' like her, an' I actually heard her voice."

"I don't really know anyone outside of school, so it must've been nothing. So, to sum everything up, Pitch and the woman need the girl they are going to 'use' to steal the Elder Wand from somebody and they're going to kill these people who get in their way of using her. Rather, they're going to use the Dementor's Kiss. That's even worse. Once they have the Wand, they'll control the Dementors and, worse case scenario, take over the world or something crazy."

"Basically, there's another plan brewin' underneath all o' this."

"Exactly. And the woman is a Squib… that's someone who's born into a magical family but doesn't have any powers, like the exact opposite of a Muggle-born witch or wizard?"

"That's right. An' Squibs can't see Dementors, but they sure know everythin' 'bout them. An' she's willin' to help Pitch with his Dementor problem if he gets her the girl, but she has to share her."

"But then… why can't Pitch just use the girl for himself? That's the most confusing part. I can't figure out…" Rapunzel shivered, despite the warmth spreading through the tearoom. "I want to go back to school."

Merida finished the last of her tea in a noisy gulp, and Rapunzel giggled, sipping the remainder of her drink as well. Insisting upon paying for the both of them, Merida left a few of her Sickles on the table and slung an arm around Rapunzel as they headed out the door. "Well, Rapunzel, if we go back to school, that just gives us time to think 'bout everythin' an' try to get to the bottom o' it. I really think ye need to take a bit of time off an' have a little more fun in Hogsmeade. We can stop at Honeydukes Sweetshop; ye love their toffees and licorice wands, don't ye?"

Rapunzel smiled timidly. "And their chocolate. Chocolate's just classic."

"Take yer mind off all this an' go get some candy. An', hey, we might run into Jack an' Hiccup in there!"

"No, Jack's probably getting drunk on Butterbeer; you know him." The girls both giggled, and Rapunzel barely caught her breath before adding, "And… Hiccup is probably in there waiting for him being that good friend that's going to help Jack walk back to school. Can't you just see that?"

"How about this: we go to Honeydukes, buy some candy, an' then stop at The Three Broomsticks. If Jack an' Hiccup are in there, exactly as ye predict, I'll give ye ten Sickles."

"I'll take you up on that!"

On the bright side, Merida's pockets were so much lighter when the four of them traveled back to Hogwarts under a picturesque sunset.

* * *

Rapunzel sat up on her bed as her roommates waved good-bye for the winter holiday, waving after them. She was excited to spend a Christmas with Merida, Hiccup, and Jack this season, and she had to admit she felt a little happier spending it with them than her Mother. It made her feel terrible, but when she vented this to Merida, her best friend merely laughed and said, "Yer growin' up. I think it's good that yer spendin' Christmas the way ye want to spend it an' it's only healthy that a teen like yerself would want to spend it with friends."

So Rapunzel felt a comfort in that. The one thing she couldn't stand was staring down at that envelope she'd received by Owl Post. It always confused her; Jack's Muggle family didn't quite understand Owl Post, and Hiccup's Muggle father couldn't get the hang of it either. But Mother had been sending letters by Owl Post since day one of Rapunzel's first year at Hogwarts.

Fingering the envelope, she waited until the last girl in her dorm shut the door before opening the letter in privacy. Mother's cursive danced gracefully across the page, always leaning a little more to the right than normal, as if writing in haste. Yet, her handwriting was elegant, and her letters, although big, were always written perfectly. Seeing the familiar penmanship was comforting; it was always the words behind it that made Rapunzel feel uncomfortable.

_My Flower,_

_I understand you want to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays. I assume by the time you read this letter, the train has already left for King's Cross and you are not on it. It gravely pains me to know we will not be spending our Christmas together._

_However, if the Hogwarts Express has not left the station yet, I urge you with one last attempt. Please, take your bags and come home to me for Christmas. But I know it's too late._

_Then, I must continue to how much I miss you and how much I care for your wellbeing. The longer you stay at Hogwarts, the more likely someone is to figure out your secret. This is why I wanted you to come home at the beginning of your seventh year, but I see you are set for an education. I continue to remind you of two things: first, you are always safe if you stay up in your "Ravenclaw Tower", as you so call it, as much as possible. I hope as a tower it eases your homesickness for me. Second of all, knowledge isn't everything my dear. I know it's fun for you to read books and research and understand, but you do not need any of this. You are not moving out into the real world once you finish your schooling, thus you do not need to worry about such petty things as jobs. You will always be with me, and that will always be enough for you, because Mother always knows best._

_I'll be sending you a package for Christmas. Please open it as soon as you get it; I simply know you'll adore it. I hope it will remind you of me for the rest of your time in school. Even if I am not with you, we are together in soul. For sentimental value, I'd appreciate you to open it alone, imagining we were together. I love you very much. Have a Merry Christmas, my beautiful Flower._

_With much love: Mother_

Well, Rapunzel thought as she fell supine on her bed, so much for not having to feel guilty about anything.

Swinging her bare feet off her bed onto the floor, Rapunzel began pacing the room, trying to think of a good Christmas present for Mother. Mother never gave her Christmas presents, saying that simply being together was enough for them. They never decorated a tree or hung holly and mistletoe, and never celebrated over a plentiful dinner of turkey or cranberries or mashed potatoes. Instead, it was hazelnut soup, Mother's favorite dish that Rapunzel pretended to be infatuated with as well, realistically thinking of it to be only mediocre.

So what to get Mother for Christmas? Rapunzel wished she'd bought something in Hogsmeade to mail over. Even if Mother hadn't sent her a present, Rapunzel should've had the grace to pick one up to substitute for her absence. Sure, she had quite a bounty of candy left over from the sweetshop, but mothers don't like candy for Christmas presents.

Mothers like homemade gifts, like paintings, but Rapunzel feared her mother was only being polite by saying her artwork was "very cute, sweetheart, adorable".

Rapunzel sighed and began to write a letter back, procrastinating coming up with a good present. She was sure she could sneak back into Hogsmeade to get something later, like she had planned to do for her friends.

_Mother,_

_Thank-you for the wonderful Christmas wishes. Don't worry; I'm perfectly safe as long as I'm at Hogwarts with Professor Dumbledore and my friends. I hope your holiday is wonderful as well, and you can most certainly expect something in the mail soon._

_Rapunzel_

The letter seemed so blunt, but there was nothing else to say. Rapunzel went up to the Owlery to send the letter on one of the school's owls and decided to use that moment to sneak off to Hogsmeade to buy Christmas presents. The professors were all too busy seeing younger students off safely on the trains, and Rapunzel couldn't buy presents in front of her friends.

She ended up going to The Magic Neep, a greengrocer's, to buy three galleons worth of hazelnuts so Mother would have enough to make that soup everyday, every meal for another year or two. Rapunzel personally thought the gift was lousy, but Mother was a very practical woman and would actually appreciate this over any other gift.

After finishing shopping for the rest of her friends, she stopped at The Three Broomsticks. Rapunzel had decided to treat herself to a Butterbeer. Loosening the bronze-and-blue scarf upon entering the stuffy pub, within a few minutes, she was slowly sipping the wonderful beverage. She remembered her first Butterbeer as a third year on her first trip to Hogsmeade with Merida, Jack, and Hiccup, and how one strange burly man had tumbled into the bar, almost as if intoxicated, yelling unintelligibly through the pub in demands for another Butterbeer. Rapunzel giggled lightly and jumped as the door opened to another customer, interrupting her memory. Naturally, it was Pitch. Rapunzel ducked, hoping her face wouldn't be seen, though it was pointless considering her floor-length braided golden hair stood out among the customers.

That same lady was accompanying him, and she was wearing that same hooded black cloak. Rapunzel hadn't caught the woman's face due to having to hide her own, and she slowly began getting out of her seat to try to make an escape from the pub. When Pitch and the woman took a seat by the doors like they had at the teashop, Rapunzel knew she was stuck. She didn't even have an Extendable Ear to eavesdrop. And she was sitting in plain sight with nowhere to hide.

Pointing her wand at herself, Rapunzel muttered, "_Colovaria_." The spell could change the color of her appearance, and almost instantly, her hair and eyebrows darkened to a jet-black color. Since her hair blended in with her robes now, hopefully it wouldn't be noticed that she had extra long hair. Mumbling the spell a few more times, Rapunzel changed her eyes bronze and her skin very, very pale. "_Reducio_." Her eyes began to shrink ever so slightly. Catching her reflection in a mirror across the room, she was pleased to see she indeed looked quite different. It was obviously still her, but people usually paid more attention to her golden hair and huge emerald eyes. Now that those were out of the way…

Rapunzel slowly maneuvered around the room trying to nonchalantly make it to a table close, but not too close, to Pitch and his guest in order to overhear whatever they were talking about. She was almost there when the door burst open and Jack entered.

Naturally, Pitch turned, saw him, and scowled deeply. He and his guest got up immediately and exited The Three Broomsticks. "Well, alright then," Jack grumbled to no one in particular. Chuckling, he lazily glanced across the room. When he laid his eyes on Rapunzel, they almost popped out of his head, and he began choking on nothing in particular.

As he began walking over, Rapunzel muttered the counter charms. "What the heck are you doing, Rapunzel? Your eyes and hair and skin-"

"I was just drinking a Butterbeer when Pitch and whoever that woman was walked in, and I wanted to try and hear what they were saying. I wanted to get a little closer but had to change up my appearance so they wouldn't recognize me." She blushed, feeling stupid. "Was that a bad plan?"

"Well, maybe it's because I know you so well it wouldn't fool me. But I guess as long as you never looked Pitch directly in the face, you'd probably be able to pull it off. The braid blended right in with your school robes. So, what are you doing? Why were you in The Three Broomsticks in the first place?"

"I was doing Christmas shopping. Finished early. Stopped here for Butterbeer. What are you doing here?"

"I should've brought some money to buy holiday gifts, shouldn't have I? Oh, well. I was just coming down for a Butterbeer." Jack waved over a waitress and placed his order. "The Hogwarts Express hadn't left the school before I left for Hogsmeade, so I decided to sneak down while the teachers were still distracted."

"That's what I was thinking."

"Breaking the rules, now are we? Impressive, Blondie."

She bit her lip and looked away smiling, irritated but amused. "Technically, we aren't in school right now, so I don't have to follow the school rules."

Jack feigned a scandalized look. "But, Rapunzel, you're Head Girl! You should be setting an example!" He pointed accusingly at her, then lowered his hand and crossed his arms. "But, by any chance, did you hear anything Pitch had been saying?"

Rapunzel grimaced and shook her head. "I'd just gotten in earshot when you came in and- oh, no, Jack, I'm not blaming you- and Pitch just got up and left. I remember hearing something about a flower, like last time."

Jack, and Hiccup too, for that matter, had already been caught up with Merida and Rapunzel's run-in with Pitch at the teashop. "So you kind of know for sure now that 'flower' is code for something?"

"I don't really know it, but it's the only thing that makes sense. Unless there's some magical flower, and, hey, this is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Yeah, but you'd think you'd get more context about the 'flower' if it were. To me, it sounds like the 'flower' talk is just offhanded interjections."

"Wow. Impressive vocabulary."

"Thanks; I've been practicing." The waitress sat a Butterbeer in front of Jack, and Rapunzel watched in awe as he chugged the entire mug in a matter of seconds. "What?"

"Uh… nothing. Hey, do you want to help me carry these bags of Christmas presents back to Hogwarts? Oh, no, not that one; that's your present, and I don't want you to see what's inside."

Jack laughed and reached for another bag. "Anything you say, Blondie."

Rapunzel shook her head and the two of them headed out of the pub. Snow had begun to fall before Rapunzel had gotten to Hogsmeade, and now, a thin layer had fully covered any ground that had previously been visible. The winter winds nipped at her nose, and, hands full, she tried to shrug her scarf a little tighter around her neck.

Jack, on the other hand, relaxed his shoulders and titled his head slightly upward into the wind, that familiar, playful smile forming. However, he gracefully obliged when she requested to walk on the sidewalk underneath the overhangs of many buildings to slightly block out the cold.

When Jack asked her why she didn't like the snow, she giggled. "I do like the snow; who doesn't? I'm just not really used to it. I never went outside that tower until I was eleven for my first year at Hogwarts, and I'm just not used to cold weather."

"Yeah, but… now that you experience it, do you like it? You have to." Rapunzel raised her eyebrows, pressuring Jack to elaborate. He succumbed. "Personally, my happiest memories are in the cold. Where I'm from, cold nearly always means snow. There's snowball fights and the beginning of the holidays… my favorite was always ice skating with my little sister at the pond outside our house." His shoulders slumped. "I miss my mom and dad, but I probably miss her more than anything."

Rapunzel was saddened, but it also made her smile, how family had always been, and forever more will be, the most important thing to Jack. "You know she misses you, too. You're funny, witty, entertaining, smart, sweet… you're the best older brother she could have, and that anyone could have, for that matter."

Jack nodded slowly, and his feet continued crunching in the snow, maybe just slightly faster, but it could've been his long legs just taking wide strides that Rapunzel struggled to keep up with. He was quiet for a while, then spoke in a firm rush: "We should spend Christmas together after Hogwarts too, you know? You could come over to my place for the holidays and meet my sister and we could teach you ice skating…"

He was rambling on about next year's Christmas, not looking at her directly, but gesturing with his hands as the words continued to flow. His walking slowed, and eventually, stopped so they were standing in front of a toy store window. "But, you know, just think about it, ok?"

"Jack, I'd love to. I think that'd be great fun."

"Seriously?"

"I really hate when people ramble on about 'the best Christmas ever' every single year, but in all honesty, I've never been able to say that. Staying at Hogwarts with you…" She looked down. "I really do think I'm going to enjoy this Christmas more than I have any other." Rapunzel blushed, embarrassed that her voice was so weak and soft and broken. "We should spend more Christmases together."

When she finally looked up at him, Jack was smiling down at her, eyes gleaming. His eyes were always doing that, as if he held some secret or surprise. Maybe the secret was there was no secret, and he just knew that kind of look drove her crazy. Snowflakes had clumped and rested lightly on his warm brown hair, and even higher beyond that…

They were standing underneath mistletoe.

Jack followed her gaze and saw the thick green leaves, and he began to pale almost as much as the round white berries. Rapunzel, on the other hand, could feel her cheeks glowing redder than the ribbon that held the plant above the shop window.

Jack laughed. "Well, hey, it's Christmas tradition."

He set his own bags down on the ground and softly took Rapunzel's from her clenched fists, setting them down as well. Rapunzel's eyes danced around frantically, from the mistletoe to her feet to her hands. She chewed her lip nervously and decided to say something before Jack changed his mind. "What's Christmas without a little mistletoe, huh?" Rapunzel followed her statement with a weak giggle.

Jack's left arm wrapped gently around her waist, pulling her in closer. His right hand gently tucked a strand of hair away from her blushing face behind her ear. Even though their bodies weren't even touching, Rapunzel was sure he could feel the vibration of her heart pounding rapidly.

His hand floated around her face, under her chin, to lift her head up slightly. "Look at me." Why was it so hard to look at him in the eyes? Struggling, Rapunzel fluttered her gaze to meet his amber eyes. They were so strong, so gentle, and just perfect. After staring at him for just a few short seconds, Rapunzel was met with a new problem: she just couldn't look away.

Jack smiled and chuckled, his eyes closing. He titled his head gently to her left and kissed her. Rapunzel flung her arms around his neck and closed her own eyes tightly, kissing him back. He moved his right hand down to meet his left around her waist and pulled her tighter against him. It was a magical moment; an eternity of no time passed, and nothing else in the world existed.

Then, she felt a harsh hand on her shoulder yanking her away. Snapping open her eyes, she saw an equally startled Jack being pulled away from the kiss by a hand on his shoulder as well. At they same time, they looked up to meet the face of Pitch.

"If you two are staying at Hogwarts for the winter break, you must stay at the school at all times where the professors can keep an eye on you. Go. Now."

Jack helped Rapunzel gather up the bags as Pitch herded them back to Hogwarts.


	11. Floo, Flight, & Floating

Jack was the only student in the entire Slytherin Dormitory to be staying at Hogwarts for the holidays. Upon entering his Common Room by escort of the lovely, charming Pitch, Jack waited a few seconds for Pitch to walk down the hall away from the dorm out of earshot. He counted to thirty just to be safe.

Then, Jack flung his arms above his head and let out a whoop.

He'd just about given up on Rapunzel; Jack was sure she'd never view him as anything more than an older brother, especially when she made that remark that he was the best big brother ever. Then, he'd purposefully stopped underneath the mistletoe he'd seen a few feet ahead and hoped she'd notice it "first". She did notice it, and when Jack saw her cheeks flush like that, he had to look at her directly in the eyes to be sure. And he was sure. And the way she kissed him… it was so gentle and honest. The way she pushed up onto her tiptoes and leaned into him, moaning…

Jack realized he was kissing the air and slapped himself.

Then, the fireplace in the Slytherin Common Room burst into green flames. Being underwater, Slytherin dungeon always had a green glow leaking in through its windows, but the flames cast a stronger, livelier green. The Floo Network, Jack remembered suddenly. It was a mode of travel by teleporting through fireplaces as long as you have the Floo Powder to throw into the flames. But that didn't mean Jack expected it.

A man barreled out of the fire. He was wearing tan pants, brown boots, a denim vest, and a white button-up cotton shirt with sleeves rolled up at the elbows. He had thick brown hair and was curling up in the fetal position. Breathing heavily, he clutched a brown purse close to his body.

Jack slowly approached the body, and, with his wand, flicked the bangs out of the man's eyes. He gasped. "Flynn?"

Flynn Rider thrust the purse at Jack. "Quick; hide this."

"Um, why?"

"Because!" Flynn stood, reminding Jack that Flynn was a couple inches taller. Up close, all Jack saw was scruffy stubble growing steadily on his chin in the I'm-a-negligent-shaver-but-I-can-pull-this-look-off-and-I-look-even-more-handsome style.

Jack began opening the purse, and Flynn's hands snapped the flap back shut, glancing back to the fireplace. "Dude," Jack said, "if you're running from someone, if they haven't come through the fireplace yet, they won't. Tell me." Jack yanked the purse away. "What's inside of your purse?"

"It's called a _satchel_. It is not a purse. Flynn Rider does not carry purses!"

"Uh-huh."

"Ok, look. Remember how I told you at the beginning of the year I was considering working with the Stabbington Brothers?"

"Yeah. Did you get my letter back?"

"Of course."

"You didn't write back."

Flynn sunk down on one knee and took Jack's hand in mockery. "My dear Juliet, my apologies upon disturbing thy grace, and I implore forgiveness." Jack brought up his right foot and lightly kicked Flynn away, who was laughing ridiculously. "And this is why I always got more than you in school."

"Um, just so you know," Jack started angrily, "I had my first kiss today."

"Adorable! First kiss! Little Jacky is growing up so fast!"

"And it was with Rapunzel!" Jack shouted, knowing that Flynn always had a little "thing" for her. Nearly every guy did, with her long, luscious golden braids that danced behind her and those big, beautiful green eyes that are just so innocent…

Sure enough, Flynn stopped laughing. "Fine. You win."

Jack breathed in slowly. "So, you were considering working with the Stabbington Brothers." It was an attempt to change the subject, and though blunt, Flynn respected it.

"Yeah, right. They're brothers- twins, actually, big burly guys- and they needed by help with something. Well, they needed a leaner man. They have more muscle than fat, I'll give them that, but they're a little on the chubbier side."

Jack had to scowl, comparing Flynn's lean muscle to his own stick figure. "Well, what did they need help with?"

"Um… don't freak out. The Stabbington Brothers are actually thieves. And I am too." Jack dropped his jaw. "You've known that from your first day here; I told you how as a little orphan boy I had to steal away food to survive, and now it's no different."

"You could get a job."

"Definitely not in the wizarding world. I have no money as a wizard, anyway. Besides, I was never really that good at all the hocus-pocus. It wasn't ever my thing." Jack had no idea what Flynn was talking about. "Then again, I have just as much money in the Muggle world, which is to say, zero. However, you can get away with thieving a lot easier in the Muggle world, and I wanted food to eat, so…" Flynn shrugged.

"So you stole somebody's 'satchel'?"

"Ah, no. That actually belonged to one of the Stabbington Brothers. Or, at least, they probably stole it from someone else and needed me to carry it. See, they needed me for a special job. They wanted a lean, lithe guy that they could lower through the roof of the castle to steal something." Flynn spoke so nonchalantly; it made Jack a little queasy. "And I put it in that satchel. I got a little cocky, though, and the guards caught me. So the Brothers and I went gallivanting through the forest to try to outrun the soldiers of Corona on horseback." Corona. Jack thought the name sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember from where. "Not a good idea. Hey, if you want to see what they look like, I snagged our 'Wanted' posters from a tree. The Brothers' and mine."

The first poster Jack pulled out was a hand-drawn image of burly twins, with scowls and scars. One had an eye-patch, but other than that, they were identical. The second poster was Flynn. Quite the opposite of the Stabbington Brothers, Flynn was smiling arrogantly, his eyes nearly half-closed with pleasure. It was appalling to see his friend on a "Wanted" poster, but all Jack could say was: "That's not your nose."

"I know! They just can't get my nose right!" Flynn sounded angrier and more distressed than Jack had ever heard him. "Anyway, we're running through a forest. We get to a dead-end, and the boys boost me up a cliff, and… I ditched them and they may have gotten arrested."

Jack blinked, his mouth ajar. "Great partner."

"Yeah, well, I had to keep running before the guards could catch me. I had no idea why the Stabbington Brothers even wanted that." Flynn pointed to the satchel. "I assumed to sell it to another kingdom. Even if you don't know what it is, it's very ornate. Anyone would pay good money for it. Then, I got super lost in the forest and came upon this tower in the middle of nowhere. I climbed up it, found a fireplace, and, lucky me, there was a jar of Floo Powder! I stole a handful and came back to school. I thought everyone would be gone on winter break, but I forgot about you. We always spent the holidays here, didn't we?"

"You forgot about me. How charming."

"Is anyone else staying in Slytherin?"

"No. Just me. That means I have our Head of House all to myself."

Flynn made a sick face. "Ah. Pitch."

"He caught Rapunzel and I kissing in Hogsmeade when students weren't supposed to be down there and I think I'm 'grounded'."

Flynn frowned in contemplative approval. "How'd you get her?"

"Huh?"

"To kiss you! I need to get her too, you know."

"It doesn't work like that. She's a girl, not a toy we share."

Flynn's neck shot back a little bit. "Well, ok, then. Hey, do you want to see what I made off with?" Jack assumed Flynn meant what he'd stolen. "Go ahead. Look."

Jack had still been holding the satchel/purse and opened up the flap once more, putting the crumpled up posters back where he found them. Groping his hand further in the bag, Jack felt his hand rest against something hard. He pulled out a sparkling princess tiara, a pale golden classic crown with diamonds that peaked at the front. Little rubies danced around the base, and, at the front and bottom, was a single black diamond-shaped stone that was no bigger than Jack's thumbnail. It was such a small detail, but it caught his attention quickly.

Then, Jack realized: one of his greatest friends from Slytherin House stole a princess tiara and intended to sell it for money. "Are you insane?"

"No one even wears that crown. It's for the Lost Princess. No one has worn it for almost eighteen years, when the baby was kidnapped when she was born. And every year on the night of her birthday," Flynn's voice softened in mock dramatics, "the King and Queen launch floating lanterns into the sky like they did on the day she was born, hoping she will one day return." Flynn shrugged, making an it's-kind-of-pointless face.

Then, Jack remembered where he'd heard the name "Corona". The woman that had attended the school years before that looked like Rapunzel had become Queen of Corona by marrying into the royal family, and their daughter was the Lost Princess.

Flynn comes from the same country. Small world. But, still, if Jack's hypothesis was right, and that woman was Rapunzel's aunt or something, Flynn had stolen something from Rapunzel's family, and that wasn't exactly ok.

"So, you're staying here in Slytherin Dormitory for winter break for two weeks and I'm guessing I shouldn't tell anyone you're here but continue to sneak up food?" Flynn nodded, and Jack placed the tiara back inside the bag. The black gem seemed to continue glowing in his eye. "Well, ah, I should go. A few friends in my year are staying with me this Christmas since it's our last year, and I don't want to disappoint them."

"You said there were no other Slytherins staying for the holidays."

"They don't have to be Slytherins to be my friends." Jack was starting to get a little annoyed. "In fact, my three friends are each from different houses."

Flynn looked genuinely surprised. "It's your last year, and you're still hanging out with the redhead and the scrawny 'Viking'?"

Jack looked Flynn dead in the eye. "You don't have a problem with me hanging out with Rapunzel, and she's not a Slytherin."

"But she's hot."

"Hiccup is hilarious and sarcastic. Merida is wild and daring. I've kept these friends the past six years. Why would my seventh year be any different?"

"Suit yourself."

* * *

"Alright, buddy," Hiccup said nervously. "You read to suit up?"

Toothless narrowed his eyes in doubt. Hiccup could understand he was thinking something along the lines of: _What is that you're holding, and why do you want to put it on me?_

"This is your new left tail wing." Hiccup held up the flap. "But it can only work if someone rides on your back on this saddle"- Hiccup held that up too- "to control the maneuvering of the tail wing. Toothless, please!" The dragon stopped walking away defiantly. "It's the only way to get your tail wing to work. I've been coming to this lake nearly everyday in the freezing cold, and I've been feeding you and giving you water to drink. Just trust me to help you fly. I've proven myself in every other area."

Toothless made it so his gaze nearly penetrated Hiccup. _Yeah, but you cut off my tail in the first place._

"It was an accident. And, if anything, that makes me more entitled to fix it." Hiccup grabbed his wand from his robes, which he hadn't had to do in a long time, and chucked it in that bush. "Let me attach this wing to your tail, and then this saddle. Then, we can go for a test flight. How does that sound?"

Toothless stared at the bush, making sure the wand really was entangled in the branches. Since it was December, the leaves of the bush had fallen and died, leaving only the thin, thorny branches to ensnare the wand. Toothless huffed and turned around so his tail would face Hiccup.

Hiccup slowly crept toward the dragon, anxiety building up. He placed the flap next to the right tail wing and was relived to have the measures right. Hiccup then began fastening the wing, trying to make it sturdy, but not tight enough to hurt. His breathing slowed and his heart beat rhythmically.

Once the wing was secure, Hiccup approached the dragon's left side. "I'm going to put this saddle on you. Ok?" Toothless shuddered. Hiccup gently slung the rawhide saddle over the dragons back and began mounting. He carefully placed his left foot in its stirrup in order to operate the left tail wing correctly. "See, Toothless? I'm on." Toothless looked up confused, looking to either side of himself and then turning his neck carefully to see his back. Upon seeing Hiccup, the Night Fury's yellow eyes narrowed, and Hiccup barely saw the devious grin before feeling himself rocketing through the night sky.

Hiccup's hands grasped the handles on the front of the saddle, and he was careful to keep his body low and his legs in. The dragon was going too fast, making wild turns to the left and right. Giving up on his calculations on how to steer Toothless, Hiccup narrowed his eyes and kept his head up, going with the flow- err, flight- of the dragon.

Toothless soared higher and higher, corkscrewing his way up into the clouds. Hiccup's knuckles were even whiter than the fluffy clouds and their snowfall. Finally, Toothless soared above the clouds so that they were in clear weather. Hiccup gasped in awe as he saw the darkening sky already glittering with stars.

"Toothless… do you…?" Of course he was seeing this. He saw it all this time. Toothless straightened out his body and began gliding, flying smoothly through the air. Hiccup closed his eyes and held onto the dragon's body tighter with his knees, raising his hands up in the air. "This is amazing!" he shouted.

Toothless snorted, did a barrel roll, and began plunging downward. Hiccup barely had time to hold on as his butt flew off the seat of the saddle. Struggling to get his feet back in the stirrups, the dragon refused to slow down, and Toothless was making an airy, throaty sound almost like laughing.

"You little beast-" Hiccup started, accompanied by a steady flow of other words that probably weren't the most Hufflepuff-hearted thing to say.

Hiccup remembered that one Care of Magical Creatures class, when he refused to tie down that dragon after finding Toothless at the lake. Astrid had gotten so disappointed and had to give him a failing grade, but this was all worth it. He could prove himself.

That brought Hiccup to another dilemma; should he tell people about Toothless? _No_, he thought. _Not yet. I want some time alone with my dragon. I can tell people later. Besides, they wouldn't be so understanding. I need to soften people up so they don't try to kill Toothless on the spot_.

Toothless landed harshly on the ground, and Hiccup came tumbling off the saddle onto the ground, getting a mouthful of snow and dead grass. Coughing, Hiccup sat up and looked into the big yellow eyes of Toothless. They were dancing, as if to say: _Yup. You really want to fly with me?_

"Oh yeah," Hiccup said, nodding, and Toothless crouched his head down low so Hiccup could reach his nose and scratch it for him. "Man, that was amazing! And, Toothless, don't worry. I won't tell anyone our secret until I check with you first." The Night Fury nodded slowly so Hiccup could still keep scratching. "But I do have in mind who I want to tell first." Toothless pulled away, looking inquisitive.

Hiccup sighed, retrieved his wand from the bush, and summoned some fish from the lake. Toothless began munching ferociously. The way to a dragon's reasoning is through his stomach. "Ok, boy, I want to tell this girl."

Toothless looked up. He didn't have eyebrows, but if he did, he'd be wiggling them teasingly. A big toothless grin spread across his face.

"Yeah. I won't argue with you on that. She's really special. I've liked her for a long time, and this is how to impress her. But, she can be a little feisty. Don't worry; I'll keep her under control and she won't hurt you."

Toothless looked a little uncertain. "I won't bring her in until you're ok with it, though. I want you to know that. It definitely won't be before Christmas." Toothless looked a little confused, and Hiccup realized that a dragon probably wouldn't know any type of winter holiday. "A few more days. And even then, I won't bring her down every day. I just need to show you to her. It might impress her."

The gummy, toothless grin resurfaced, and Toothless snorted a bit of smoke, nodding eagerly. "Oh, and she's very daring and carefree. You can do whatever flight maneuvers you want, and I'm sure she'll love them, so you don't have to worry about being this little donkey we take for a ride. No, boy. I want you to go crazy. Have fun." _Plus_, Hiccup thought, _she'll have to hold onto me tighter_. "I'm challenging you."

Toothless was nodding quickly, and then Hiccup realized he was also jerking his head back to the saddle still fastened on his back. "Oh," Hiccup said, trying to understand. "You want me to get back on for practice?" Hiccup scoffed. "Like I need it!" He bore the condescending stare of yellow eyes for only a short while. "Yeah, I need it." Hiccup straddled the saddle again and patted Toothless on the side. "Ok, boy, show me what you can do."

And they took off, quickly ripping through the night sky. Now, all Hiccup needed to worry about was working up the nerve to ask her into the Forbidden Forest…

* * *

After hearing Rapunzel's story, Merida squealed with delight. If anything, it should make her more jealous of Jack, but any resentment she'd ever felt toward the scoundrel melted quickly under the fire of Rapunzel's blushing cheeks. The fact that he made her so happy just made Merida feel happy as well. "Tell me everythin'! One more time."

"Merida, you said that six times ago!"

"Again!" And so Rapunzel retold the story of kissing Jack underneath the mistletoe. Merida leaned back on her bed, and Rapunzel sat up straighter at the foot of it. The conversation, the setting, and, of course, the actual kiss… it was all too perfect. "My little sis is growin' up so fast!" Merida reached across her bed and gave Rapunzel a big hug. "Yer blushin', ye know?"

"Oh, I was burning red the entire time. Now I really hate Pitch, though."

"I can't believe him! That son of a Pitch."

"Clever! I'm totally using that." Merida watched Rapunzel get up and walk to the next bed, folding back the sheets. "Are you sure your roommates won't mind me sleeping over in their beds while they're gone?"

"As long as ye don't burn Gryffindor Tower down or smuggle Quidditch plays to yer team."

"Please. Ravenclaw doesn't need your plays to beat your team."

"Ye lost the last game."

"Oh, hush!" Rapunzel chucked a pillow at Merida, who swatted it back. "I'm not ready to go to sleep."

Merida glanced out at the already black night sky. The only lights were the candles they kept going at the nightstands. "It's the holidays. Ye can go to bed as late as ye want. That's the best part. That an' sleepin' in."

Rapunzel nodded and grabbed the bowl of popcorn. Merida knew this game. She turned her body toward her best friend and opened her mouth, ready to catch the kernels. "So, what are we going to do for Christmas?" Rapunzel brushed the loose blond hair behind her back, as it was free from its usual braids. "Just hang out like we do during school weekends?"

Merida jerked to the right and caught a tricky toss in her mouth, chewing happily. "I'm thinkin' so. We could always stalk Pitch an' figure out what he's up to or figure out Jack's prophecy. Ye kissed him, but ye haven't told him?"

"I don't want him to freak out. I'm just waiting for a little more information. Plus, Jack thinks Professor Trelawney is delusional. We all think Professor Trelawney is delusional." Merida nearly fell off her bed diving forward for a short toss and missed it anyway. "Careful; you'll hurt yourself."

After sticking out her tongue, Merida tried to reason with Rapunzel. "Ye know, we really should tell him. He's already goin' to be mad we've waited this long, an' we don't want to keep the poor bloke in the dark any longer."

"Ok; you said the best part of holiday break is staying up late?"

"Yeah."

"And you're always breaking curfew anyway. If we want to tell Jack about the prophecy, we should find it first…" Merida's eyes widened as she nodded emphatically.

So the two of them quietly set off to try to find information about Jack. Passing a few third years and a fourth year in the Gryffindor Common Room, Rapunzel and Merida tried to look like they were on official Head Girl and prefect business, since it was definitely past curfew. Merida leaned over and whispered. "How are we goin' to find it?"

Rapunzel shook her head, her hair undulating under the motion. "I was hoping you'd have an idea. We could talk to Professor Trelawney, but I don't think we're going to get anything new from her."

"We could talk to Pitch an' try to figure out what's goin' on. Like he'd tell us," Merida sniggered. "I can't sleep at night knowin' Dementors are in the Forbidden Forest, an' Pitch probably never took them out after Dumbledore asked him to."

"Professor Dumbledore." Merida saw Rapunzel's correction coming and apologized automatically without thinking about it. It was funny; Rapunzel called all teachers "professor" except for Pitch, of course, but she only bothered to correct other people if they were talking about Dumbledore. Rapunzel held a lot of respect for the guy, and Merida couldn't blame her. "I think we know at this point Pitch is up to something, but we don't know what it is, and we can take a break from figuring it out in trying to find what we're guessing is a prophecy about Jack from Professor Trelawney."

"Do ye think she's in her classroom? We could go in there an' find the prophecy records. Did ye ever see them in there?"

"Prophecy records are like glass balls that are the size of two fists pressed together, right?" Merida nodded. "Never saw those in there, and I think, if anything, Professor Dumbledore would have them. Anyways, you can't take a prophecy unless you yourself are mentioned in it."

"Ok. If we find it, ye tell Jack everythin' and get him to get his prophecy."

"How are we going to find it?"

"Ye said Dumble- Professor Dumbledore would have the records."

"Wait! Are you saying we're going to break into Professor Dumbledore's office and take a prophecy record?"

"No; just find it. Ye can't take a prophecy unless yer in it."

"Then you're saying we get Jack to steal it."

"If it's his prophecy, it belongs to him. Ye think Professor Dumbledore would understand. But, then again, we broke into his office in the first place…"

"Unless we don't break in. Why don't we just knock? Ask him how his day is doing. Inquire about future career plans. Though, I don't have anything planned. I'm just going back to my tower."

"An' I'm goin' to be queen of DunBroch. An' Hiccup's goin' to lead his Viking tribe. I know Jack wants to be an Auror. If anythin', we can ask Professor Dumbledore 'bout that. After all, this is 'bout Jack. An' while we're in Professor's office…"

"We keep an eye out for any glass balls that could be prophecy records." Merida nodded, proud that Rapunzel could think of a plan so simple, yet so effective.

"Why do ye have to go back to yer tower where ye live with yer mum? Aren't ye movin' out on yer own once ye finish school?"

Rapunzel's mouth twitched, and she just said: "Mother thinks it'd be best if I stay with her. I won't argue; she does know what's best for me, I guess." It made no sense to Merida, but if Rapunzel wasn't choosing to elaborate, she didn't want to push.

A few minutes later, Dumbledore was pouring tea for them. "I am surprised; you two are usually among the vast majority to head home for the winter holidays."

"It's our last year at Hogwarts," Rapunzel said simply. "We wanted to spend Christmas here, sir."

Dumbledore smiled at Rapunzel- top student, Head Girl, Quidditch commentator, and the student with the most rigorous schedule. She took nearly every class. All the teachers loved Rapunzel. "Yes, my dear, there is no place quite like Hogwarts. Now, how may I help you two lovely ladies?"

"We were wonderin' about becomin' Aurors."

"Have you talked to your Heads of House yet? They set you up with the proper classes needed to have the credits necessary to become an Auror back in your sixth year."

Merida suddenly realized a huge flaw in their plan. Merida wasn't a potions student, and Rapunzel wasn't a Defense Against the Dark Arts student. Those were the two most important classes to become an Auror. Hopefully, Dumbledore didn't have their schedules memorized. "Ah, well, I was wonderin' less 'bout credits an' more 'bout what bein' an Auror is actually like. I know ye've been offered jobs at the Ministry for Magic before, though ye turned them down, so I figured yer a great source to come to 'bout bein' an Auror."

"Well, I never was an Auror, but I would be delighted to tell you everything I know of the matter. Funny you are not the only student who came in asking about being an Auror. I have had another student frequently visiting me in his hopes to be an Auror. He is a Slytherin in your year named Jackson Frost."

Merida quickly shot Rapunzel a look, which she hoped read, _See? I told you he brings up Jack randomly in conversations!_ "Really? That's interestin'." Merida kept staring at Rapunzel, who looked as though she got the message and was trying to be nonchalant in looking around the room for a prophecy record. It was failing epically, so Merida was determined to keep Dumbledore's attention on herself.

"Yes, indeed. I remember you mentioned him to be your friend when you came to fetch those Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans for Transfiguration for Professor McGonagall."

"Impressive memory," Merida couldn't help add. "Um, yeah, ye know, Jack an' Rapunzel here an' Hiccup an' I go way back."

"Rapunzel." Dumbledore folded his hands across his desk. "You help Madam Pomfrey in the infirmary, is that right?" She nodded feebly. "Excellent healer, you are." Rapunzel looked down at the ground, and Merida noticed Rapunzel's feet were bare. Merida couldn't help but wonder if Rapunzel had been bare-footed walking around the snowy grounds of Hogsmeade. Probably. And her feet were still dainty and perfect.

"Thank-you, Professor Dumbledore."

"And you are a Ravenclaw." Dumbledore gestured to the bronze-and-blue striped tie and Ravenclaw patch at the upper left of Rapunzel's school robes. "Must be a very bright girl. Glowing grades." Rapunzel smiled a certain smile that held a secret, maybe the punch line to an inside joke. "Oh, and Merida, that other friend of yours, Hiccup. He is that young Hufflepuff who trained the dragons, I remember?" Merida nodded, still trying to read into the words Dumbledore had spoken to Rapunzel. "Yes. One from each house. What a strong friendship you all have!"

Merida had a feeling that he didn't mean the bond was strong, but the four of them together were strong. He kept verifying the whole "one friend from each house" thing and making sure they were tight with Jack. "Jack's a mighty powerful wizard, don't ye think? He'd make a great Auror."

Something in Dumbledore's eyes grew a little sad. "He is most definitely one of the most powerful wizards I have ever met within my time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He certainly has the powers to become a great Auror."

The one thing about talking face-to-face with Dumbledore was Merida didn't have time to stop and try to think through what he was saying but had to continue carrying out a conversation with hints that she was catching on to Dumbledore's insinuations. "Yeah, he does. What could stand in his way?"

Dumbledore's face was a rock. "I cannot imagine what it would be." He sounded pretty sure there was something. The Headmaster suddenly shivered and looked upward. "My, it is quite cold, do you agree?"

Although it was December, the stony walls and fires kept the castle cozy and maybe a little too stuffy. Merida played along. "It's mighty freezin' outside, ain't it?"

"It is also quite dark, you agree? Except, of course, a very bright moonlight. We are lucky to have a reflective moon in such dark nights."

Rapunzel had stopped searching for the prophecy record across Dumbledore's office and was staring at him intently. "Like water. It's cold and dark, but still reflective of the light."

"Why, Miss Gothel, I have never considered it like that, but yes." The wise cobalt eyes said different, though.

Rapunzel made eye contact with Merida, and Merida got the message. "Well, Professor Dumbledore, thank-ye for talkin' with us an' answerin' some o' our questions. It's gettin' late, but may we come an' talk to ye another time?"

"Of course, ladies. I insist."

Once they were out in the hallway, Rapunzel began breaking down Dumbledore's "code". "So, first he kept sneaking in references about Jack. You were right about that one. He's very good at changing topic."

"An' then he got all specific on us bein' in different houses an' you bein' an excellent healer an' Hiccup bein' good with dragons. The different houses are old news, though. The fact that he dwelled on yer talents-"

"Even someone as powerful as Jack needs help from other people with different abilities. We have a 'strong friendship'. If Jack is this powerful wizard -"

"An' he is! Dumbledore- _Professor_ Dumbledore, sorry- said Jack would be the most powerful Auror if nothin' stopped him! He sounded like somethin' would though, like he has another destiny, or he's goin' to try an' change his fate."

"A career isn't a fate, but that prophecy is. Professor Dumbledore started making all sorts of allusions to the prophecy. When Professor Trelawney was showing me the crystal ball and muttering about an American Muggle-born, the crystal ball began getting frosty and the air around us got super chilly. The prophecy also depicted a full silvery moon, bigger than usual, glowing so brightly. And the whole scene looked like it was taking place underwater."

Merida went rigid, but she kept herself walking steadily to the dorm. "Ye are tellin' Jack, ok?"

Rapunzel shuddered. "I'm just scared. You were right. He's going to get so mad at me for keeping this from him, just when things were… well; things were going absolutely magical for us. At least, I hope. He may have just been another teenage guy underneath the mistletoe with a random schoolgirl-"

Merida couldn't bear to hear her best friend talk like this. She gripped Rapunzel by the shoulders and looked her square in the eye. "Ye know he's crazy about ye. It wasn't another scene under the mistletoe. Ye know Jack; he probably knew it was there the whole time an' was tryin' to get you under it."

Rapunzel's worry seeped from her gaze replaced by curiosity. "Seriously, though, he would be the one to do that, wouldn't he?"

"An' he's always cared about ye. It's more than just a mistletoe moment. After all, he invited ye to spend the holidays with his family. Think about that!"

"I hope you're right."

"Crown Princess Merida of DunBroch is never wrong."

"You always pull the princess card, don't you?"

Merida laughed. "But seriously, though, the longer ye put it off, the worse it'll be. Come clean as soon as ye can, an' be honest. Tell him ye were worried 'bout him an' didn't want to scare him or give a false alarm 'bout nothin'."

"The worse part is I knew, and you knew, and Hiccup knew, but we all left him out." Rapunzel sighed, and Merida could almost feel guilt rushing out of Rapunzel.

"Jack will forgive ye. Do ye want me to be there with ye when you tell him?"

Rapunzel smiled up at Merida, and Merida hoped she was being supportive enough. "That's really sweet of you, but I need to fix it and come clean with him about everything. But… Merida, maybe I should tell you something, too."

Merida recited the password to get into Gryffindor Tower and proceeded up to the seventh year girls' dorm. Patting the foot of her bed, Rapunzel sat down and began to explain her magic hair. "And I don't want you to get mad at me for telling Jack first; it just worked out that way. I really am sorry. I should've told you sooner."

Taking a deep breath, Merida tried to embrace that Rapunzel was her own person and that she had a right to bond with any boy she wanted to. Merida also trusted Rapunzel would never, ever be one of those girls who left their friends for a boy, so Merida just had to be that friend that never got jealous of her friend's boyfriend. "That explains why yer mum is overprotective. An' I'm not upset that ye told Jack first. Ye should be able to trust all three o' us."

"Ok. Soon, I'll tell Hiccup about my hair and Jack about the prophecy record." Rapunzel nodded, got off Merida's bed, and started getting into her own.

"Wait." Merida tried to process everything. "We never found the prophecy record. Unless… did ye find the record?"

Rapunzel nodded. "You know how Professor Dumbledore has lots of little trinkets and gadgets cluttering in his bookshelves, piled on his desk, and hanging from the ceiling?" She turned over on her side in her bed, her voice soft and dreamy.

Merida, however, was wide-awake. "Are ye sayin' it was hidden in plain sight?"

"It was floating as if magnetized to the ceiling right above his head."


	12. Trust, Trust, Trust

Rapunzel squeezed her eyes shut tightly as Jack paced back and forth in front of her, rubbing his neck. The thoughts she'd relayed about the prophecy and his power were definitely overwhelming, but she had no idea how he was processing it, or how understanding he was of her reluctance to divulge everything. "I really am sorry I didn't tell you at first. I just wanted to make sure this was actually a legitimate thing before I got you concerned. I realize that was stupid and I should have told you everything from the beginning."

Jack turned to look at her, an unfamiliar sadness churning in his gaze. "I understand, but, Rapunzel, if things are getting that serious, we need to be able to trust each other and tell each other everything."

"I trust you! I really do!" Rapunzel felt the contortion of her heart in her chest. "I was just thinking how Professor Dumbledore knows about the prophecy, for however long, I don't know, but he never told you. I thought that might be to protect you, and that's all I wanted to do." She shivered. "But you're right; I need to be able to tell you everything. If you're as powerful as this prophecy says, knowledge wouldn't harm or endanger you, but be an advantage. I just wanted to protect you. Please don't be mad."

Staring into her eyes, Jack stayed silent for a while. "I'm not mad. I'm just… sad. I really wish you'd told me." Twisting his frown into a smile, he tried making his voice lighter. "Though it's very sweet of you to care about me that much."

Dropping his gaze, Rapunzel cursed herself and met his eyes again, remembering how Jack told her to look at him before their kiss in Hogsmeade. "You forgive me?"

Jack stepped forward and rubbed her arms gently. "Of course I do." The already empty hallway they were standing in seemed to turn into their own empty universe. "And you promise to tell me everything next time anything remotely like this comes up?"

Overcome by something Rapunzel would never be able to put her finger on, she lightly gripped the front of his robes and rose on tiptoe, kissing him with an innocent, quick peck. When she pulled her head back, Rapunzel saw Jack's eyes closed, his lips curving upward into a sly smile. Rapunzel waited for his eyes to open before staring into them and saying with great sincerity: "I promise."

Suddenly, Jack did something that surprised her. Reaching into the inner pockets of his school robes, the devious little Slytherin pulled out a sprig of mistletoe. "How'd you know I brought this with me?"

Laughing, Rapunzel reached for it, but Jack pulled it higher out of her reach, above his head. Raising her arms in an attempt to grab it, she realized Jack's little plan a second before it happened. Still, Rapunzel didn't try to fight as his free arm slipped around her waist and he pulled her in for a longer, more passionate kiss.

Breaking away, she pressed his forehead to his. "And Pitch wasn't here to stop us this time," Rapunzel giggled, feeling heated under his burning amber eyes.

"Then why did we stop?" he murmured, slipping the mistletoe behind her right ear before pulling her in for another kiss. Rapunzel didn't understand how she could be smiling and kissing at the same time, but she managed to pull it off. The kiss was so beautiful, and just like before, time seemed to lose all relevance to the universe.

This time, Jack pulled away. They looked into each other's eyes, and after a long time, Rapunzel plucked up her courage. "So… are we… you know, a… couple?"

Jack rocked back and forth, his arms still secure around her waist. "Well, I would be absolutely honored to court such a fine maiden, but it can only be so if she accepts me." He reached for Rapunzel's left hand and, raising it, kissed it respectfully.

Rapunzel felt euphoric at the slightest affectionate gesture. "I cordially accept," she giggled. "I would be delighted."

Jack grinned, and suddenly, his eyes popped with excitement, as if he'd just thought of something. "Hey! We should go on a date! That'd be fun."

"Yes, that's what couples do." Rapunzel saw his enthusiasm endearing. "The girlfriend gets to pick the first date."

"Oh, so there are rules?"

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but since when did you follow rules?" Jack shrugged acceptingly, and Rapunzel bit her lip to keep from giggling again. She was overjoyed, but didn't want to come across as a ditz. "Besides, this girlfriend chooses… she wants her boyfriend to surprise her." Jack probably realized she was using these terms on purpose, because she just loved to be able to say it: _Oh, yes, my boyfriend, Jack Frost. I'm his girlfriend. We're totally dating. Did I mention he's my boyfriend?_

"Well, there's always the basics. We could have dinner, or stroll in the snow together…" Suddenly, Jack's left hand slipped from her waist and gripped her right hand, and they began waltzing through the corridor. The emptiness made their footsteps echo, forming an entrancing drum. "Perhaps I could take you dancing." He twirled her, and she laughed as she lost her balance and fell into his arms. Rapunzel knew he did that on purpose. "But if you want a surprise, I'm going to have to plan something special and unexpected. Even so a Ravenclaw can't figure it out."

"Is that a challenge?"

"One that I would most certainly lose. Humor me and don't try to figure it out, so I can genuinely surprise you. Or, even better, fake it!"

Rapunzel shook her head, smiling. "I'm sure that won't be necessary. Whatever you'll have planned will be sure to be an amazing first date."

"How does Christmas Day sound? Well, I mean in the evening, of course; the morning's going to be dedicated to opening presents." Jack nodded earnestly.

Rapunzel laughed at Jack's youthful nature. At first, she thought Christmas Eve itself would've been nice, but then she realized they'd be spending that with Hiccup and Merida. After all, the four of them were staying at Hogwarts for Christmas so they could all be together, not just so Rapunzel could sneak off with Jack. Rapunzel found it incredibly thoughtful that Jack thought of this. "Sounds perfect."

"I'll pick you up at… seven. Seven's the magic number, after all! Until then." Jack leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "If you'll excuse me, I have to think of something really impressive." Sharing one last smile, he sprinted off into the hallway. Rapunzel twirled with excitement as soon as Jack turned the corner. It was really happening. It was more than just a mistletoe kiss. Merida was right; Merida's always right. Rapunzel would have to thank her best friend for giving her the courage to talk not only about the prophecy but about _them_ as well.

The little sprig of mistletoe fell from behind her ear, and Rapunzel glanced around the floor in search of it. She reached down for the plant, but a gnarly old hand beat her to it. "Oh, please, allow me." Rapunzel looked up in confusion and fear as Professor Dumbledore tucked the sprig back behind her right ear. How much had the wise Headmaster heard? "Oh, please, do not think for a minute I was spying on you two. I was strolling the halls to clear my head when I heard the clopping of feet around the corner. Confused, I turned to find you and that young Jackson Frost waltzing. Such a lovely sight for old eyes; the waltz will never be lost in younger generations."

So Professor Dumbledore hadn't heard Rapunzel telling Jack that he needed to steal the prophecy record from the Headmaster's office. Or, he wasn't letting on. "Good ole waltzing. Who doesn't love it?" Rapunzel feigned an ignorant smile.

"Young love," Professor Dumbledore sighed. "Exciting! And your first date, on Christmas! How lovely."

This was really awkward in theory, but the Headmaster had a dreamy lull to his voice that made him sound so genuine. It was like Professor Dumbledore was another student at Hogwarts, and he was congratulating one of his classmates on getting a date. "I'm very excited."

"You should be." Professor Dumbledore smiled, and his eyes seemed to sparkle. He took a deep contemplative breath. "May I ask how your holiday break is going?"

Rapunzel couldn't help herself from smiling deviously. "You know."

"Ah. Wonderful."

"Yours, sir? You did say you were walking through the halls trying to 'clear your head'. Is everything all right? Of course, directing a school like Hogwarts is hard work in general, so naturally-"

"Hard work, yes, but pleasant. My life is dedicated to the academic betterment of youth. No, you are right, Miss Gothel. There is something else bothering me. I suppose your friend, Merida DunBroch, may have told you. She was sent to my office by Professor McGonagall to fetch something for Transfiguration and overheard a discussion I had held with Professor Pitch."

"The Dementors. Yes, she told me. I thought Professor Pitch had gotten rid of them," Rapunzel lied.

"No; they are still in the Forbidden Forest. They have not yet disturbed the peace of Hogwarts, which is good, but they are not providing any specific 'protection' that my colleague has been stressing. I must find a way to purge them from school grounds. The Forbidden Forest is not safe for students."

The Forbidden Forest was never safe with students; it was so dangerous that adding Dementors to the mix probably didn't make that much of a difference. It was well deserving of the title "Forbidden". Rapunzel had a feeling Professor Dumbledore was purposefully telling her specifically to not enter the Forbidden Forest. Why would she? Unless Professor Dumbledore expected Jack would make their first date there.

Rapunzel, instead of feeling frightened, felt fluttery. The fact that Jack would take her someplace so dangerous was actually romantic. Stupid, but romantic. Exactly the kind of place Jack would take her.

But Jack knew Pitch's Dementors were stocked in there. Jack wouldn't go near there in a million years, much less take her on a date there. Rapunzel laughed, tossing her braid. "The Forbidden Forest is 'forbidden' for a reason, sir. Students in their right mind simply don't go there."

* * *

Entering the part of the Forbidden Forest where he always found Toothless, Hiccup tossed some of the raw fish Dobby had given him from the kitchen. There was no way Hiccup could retrieve any more fish from the lake; it was frozen stiff. However, he could still send water out of the tip in his wand, so as long as Dobby supplied the fish under blind trust, Hiccup would keep his pet dragon well fed. The only thing Hiccup had to worry about was the cold snow, but that didn't seem to bother Toothless in the slightest.

"Hey, buddy." Hiccup patted the sleek, flat nose. "Ok. Tomorrow's the day. I'm going to ask her to come and meet you."

Toothless growled, either in dread or to say: _C'mon, man, we've been over this before. I know what to do; don't attack and be sure to fly like a maniac so you can look super cool and impress her. I get it._

"Remember: she's very encouraging of my dragon skills, but she isn't too keen on the nice-guy approach. Just let me keep her under control. I can do that. I think. She's a feisty one."

Toothless let smoke pop out of his nostrils and winked at Hiccup. "I'm trying to impress her, not kidnap her. We will be nice gentlemen, do you understand?" Hiccup paced in front of the dragon, much warmer in his old Viking clothes from home than his Hogwarts uniform, despite the fact it was much colder than usual this particular Christmas Eve. "No sexual innuendos and/or gestures. Nothing that would make her slap me or have the urge to kill you painfully." Toothless, who'd been dryly laughing, suddenly quieted, nodding sincerely. "And, I'm asking you one more time: Night Furies have this magical power to keep Dementors away? Can I trust you that she'll be safe?"

With a lazy groan that sounded life threatening from a dragon his size, Toothless nodded and whopped Hiccup off the ground with his paw. "Excuse me!" Hiccup shouted. "Whatever you do, do _not_ do that to either of us when you meet her! You want to impress her too, don't you?"

Rolling his eyes, Toothless brought up a back paw and scratched his ear. "Ok, boy, you be her. I'll be me. I'm going to ask you out." Toothless slammed his back paw back towards the ground defiantly. "Please help me out!" Toothless snorted and rolled onto his back, then got back on his feet and held a weak feminine stance. "She's a strong girl; don't be so generalizing. Just stand like you normally do, and let me know if I'm good enough for all this."

If Toothless could talk, Hiccup would bet his money that snarky dragon would say: _You're not_. Regardless, he took a deep breath and puffed out his chest. "Hey, girl, what's up?" Toothless began shaking his head wildly. "Um, 'sup, girl?" A condescending glare made Hiccup exasperated. "Even dragons know more about girls than me!"

With a snort, the Toothless impatiently urged Hiccup to keep trying. "Hello." No. "Hi." No. "How you doing?" Even worse. Hiccup skipped the small talk. "There's something I want to show you, but you're going to have to trust me."

Suddenly, Toothless began nodding with that cute toothless grin. "But, wait, what do I say before that?" Toothless began shaking his head. "So I approach her, point blank, and tell her… that's so simple and perfect that I'm an idiot for not thinking of it before." Toothless nodded slowly, as if he'd been trying to communicate this from the beginning. "Ok, boy, I'm trusting you. If this goes wrong, you're to blame."

* * *

The four woke up on Christmas day and met outside Gryffindor Tower, exchanging and opening gifts. Merida gasped, now fully awaken from her sleep, as she turned over the recently unwrapped present from her mum and dad. The wooden bow was a beautiful pale wood, and the quiver that held the matching arrows was made of sturdy leather. She'd always wanted a bow and arrow, but Mum insisted on her using Dad's old ones, since it "was not suitable for a lady to carry a weapon". The gift meant a great deal to her, and she wouldn't tell it to her friends, but it was probably her favorite.

Then again, as she looked around, her friends seemed to favor the gifts from their parents as well. Rapunzel treasured a beautiful amulet from her mother that matched that lavender dress she always wore, and Rapunzel refused to take the beauty from its box. Hiccup had received a Viking helmet to match his father's, and Jack was pulling a thick blue hoodie over his wild brown hair, embroidered with frost designs around the edges.

Merida found the day fairly predictable, but enjoyed it nonetheless. Even when Jack and Rapunzel officially announced they were together, Merida just smiled knowingly, while Hiccup, on the other hand, gasped and clapped Jack on the back with excessive congratulations. The cliché bonding and conversations were needed, a nice break from the chaos they'd endured throughout the school year, between schoolwork, Jack's prophecy, and whatever was going on with Pitch.

Finally, the evening came to a close, and the day began taking its twist, creating a Christmas Merida would never forget. Right after dinner, Hiccup caught up with her on her way to Gryffindor Tower. "Hey. Wait, no, I meant… um, how you doing?" Hiccup bit his lip and cringed. Merida peered at him curiously.

"Ye ok, Hiccup?"

He took a deep breath and looked at her solemnly. "There's something I want to show you, but you're going to have to trust me."

Merida brushed her stubborn red curls back. "What are ye talkin' about?"

"Do you trust me?" Hiccup stretched out a hand. Used to seeing Hiccup in his school robes all the time, the casual Viking outfit Hiccup claimed to wear back at home struck Merida as different. Feeling self-conscious in her usual blue dress, Merida took his hand, confused. Immediately, Hiccup began taking off down the hallways, leading her to a secret passageway outside the castle. Merida was familiar with it; it was one of the passages Jack had showed her, along with Hiccup and Rapunzel, that he'd discovered from his Marauder's Map. But Merida had never used it.

The silence should've been awkward, but it was mysterious and exciting. Upon exiting the castle into the light snow, Merida shivered suddenly. Hiccup's Viking outfit was naturally keeping him much warmer, and she was jealous of the fur vest and free-moving pants. Glancing back at the clock tower, Merida watched the minute hand chime up to the twelve, and witnessed the hour turning to seven o'clock. Hiccup began leading Merida into the Forbidden Forest. Merida drew her wand as they got closer.

"Ah… do you really trust me?" Hiccup asked one more time.

"I'm startin' to regret it, but o' course I trust ye."

"Put your wand away and don't take it out, no matter what."

Merida did as Hiccup advised. She squeezed his hand as he led her into the dark forest. "Yer leadin' me in here; ye might as well look brave about it."

"I'm about to show you a secret; you can't tell anybody. Not yet, anyway. I wanted you to be the first to see."

Bouncing with excitement, she tried to read Hiccup's expression, but the boy was a natural with his poker face. "A surprise?"

"Yes."

"Another Christmas gift? The notebook an' charcoal pen ye got me was great by itself; I always wanted to draw like ye."

"Well, by the end of tonight, you'll have something to draw," Hiccup said with a light chuckle. He then stopped, clutching her hand tighter. Turning to look at her, he said, "We're almost there. Remember; just trust me and don't freak out. I've got everything under control."

Merida's eyes widened. She suddenly knew what Hiccup was talking about, but kept quiet in case she was wrong. But, sure enough, the two of them entered an iced-over lake in the middle of the forest, where they had seen the Night Fury when they camped out together. "I want you to meet Toothless."

And, almost as if plunging out of the darkness, a sleek black dragon crept from the trees toward the two of them. Its yellow eyes nearly petrified Merida, and its ears were pinned against his head. She began slowly reaching for her wand to attack, but stopped herself. She turned her gaze from the dragon to Hiccup, not afraid to show how terrified she was.

"It's ok, Toothless; she's a friend. You promised me you'd let her ride."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Merida thrust up her hands. "Are ye tellin' me to get on… that?" she shrieked. "Have ye tried ridin' a dragon?"

"Yes," he said coolly, approaching Toothless and scratching its ears. "I've been coming down here a lot recently and flying him. I know it's dark, but hopefully your eyes have adjusted. See the saddle?"

Squinting, Merida made out the perch Hiccup had constructed to ride the Night Fury. She also saw a contraption on the dragon's tail that seemed to be replacing a missing wing. Hiccup must've built not only the saddle, but also what looked like a prosthetic wing. Hiccup knew this dragon well; that was for sure. But she most certainly didn't. "I don't think I want to go flyin' on a dragon."

"Alone? Of course not. You're riding with me."

"There's only room for one on yer saddle."

"You can sit behind me. It'll work."

But Merida found her feet frozen. She felt ashamed. A Gryffindor, afraid. "I… I'm…" She couldn't make out the confession.

Hiccup walked toward her and took a hold of both her hands. "I know it's really scary and unheard of to ride dragons. But I've done it before, and I know what I'm doing. I'd never do anything to let you get hurt, and as long as you hold onto me, you'll be perfectly safe." Merida realized he was walking backwards toward the beast, and she was walking with him. She refused to look into its malicious yellow eyes that seemed to pierce her and focused in on Hiccup's trustworthy green ones instead, listening to the comforting, honest tones in his voice. "I'm going to get on Toothless. Then, I'll help you up. I'll make sure you're comfortable and perfectly safe." Hiccup turned to look at the dragon instead. "Only when you're ready, Toothless will fly, and he will fly slowly and gently. He will not do barrel rolls or corkscrews or three sixties unless the pretty redhead gives consent. Is that clear?" Hiccup's voice was stern and commanding, as if training a dog. The dragon replied by sticking out its tongue and rolling its eyes. Merida would've found the scene comical if she weren't about to get on its back.

Merida and Hiccup stopped walking toward the dragon. Hiccup launched himself up on the dragons back and secured himself in the saddle, looking very in-control and at home. Then, he reached a hand down to Merida. Staring at his open palm, Merida muttered, "Hiccup, are ye sure 'bout this?"

"I understand you don't trust Toothless." The dragon grunted, probably offended. Or, worse, humored. "And that's ok. He'll win you over eventually. But you don't have to trust Toothless. You just have to trust me."

She quivered and stared up into the starry, moonlit sky. The silvery glow seemed to make the glossy black body of the Night Fury to glow irresistibly. Hiccup's eyes sparkled invitingly. Merida reached her hand outward, but before grasping Hiccup's, added, "I'm trustin' ye. If this goes wrong, yer to blame."

"I accept full responsibility." Taking her hand, he whispered, "Ready?"

"No." But she jumped up anyway with the support of Hiccup. Cursing the limited range of motion in her dress, she managed to straddle the dragon with her body pressed tightly against Hiccup's, a lovely position if she weren't in the middle of fearing for her life. "Now what?"

"Keep your legs tight against the dragon, and try to sit as close as you can to me." Hiccup reached behind him and grabbed Merida's hands, wrapping them around his middle. "Hold onto my waist and don't let go. Don't be afraid to hold tight. Oomph!" Hiccup grunted and Merida let go. "Maybe not that tight. You don't need to give me the Heimlich." Merida repositioned her grip more gently, quite embarrassed. She couldn't scoot her body any closer to Hiccup's, and her chin was already resting on his right shoulder. Keeping her legs tight against the dragon's body as instructed, Merida waited for further command. "Are you ready?"

"To fly?"

"Yeah. Only when you feel comfortable. When you give the word, Toothless is going to take off slowly. It'll feel no different than flying your Firebolt on the Quidditch field. That gentle. Are you ready?"

Merida breathed in shakily. Being so close to Hiccup made her forget the chilly December air and some of her fear. "Ready when ye are."

Hiccup patted Toothless with one hand, and suddenly, big black wings erupted from either side. Merida felt like fainting, but managed to strengthen her grip, breathing in sharply. "Relax. We haven't even taken off yet."

The big black wings began flapping up and down. Up, down, up, down… it went on like that for a good minute. Then, Merida realized with a shock, they'd left the ground long before. Rising higher into the sky, the wind of a snowstorm, which had subsided hours ago, lingered, flapping her wild red curls behind her. She gently extended her foot and lightly kicked one of the highest branches of the forest. "Hiccup, this is amazin'!" she breathed, snuggling closer to him.

"Not so scared now that you've tried it, huh?"

Merida honestly felt quite stupid. She'd been scared of this? This was the most amazing, liberating, exciting, incredible thing she'd ever done. Strengthening her grip, Merida asked, "Can ye make it do all the tricks ye were mentionin' earlier?"

"Already?" Hiccup sounded quite shocked. But, he didn't have time to say much more. Toothless must've been able to understand human speech, because he streaked through the starry night at incredible speed. Hiccup had been holding Merida's hands around his waist, but had to let go to take a hold of the handles on the saddle. She wanted to shriek with delight, but Merida didn't want to make Hiccup go deaf in his right ear, so simply pressed her lips together firmly and screamed on the inside. "Isn't this amazing?" Hiccup asked her excitedly, half-shouting to be heard over the wind. Toothless did a barrel roll. "This is amazing!" Hiccup answered his own question, and Merida whole heartedly repeated after him. "Hey, do you want to leave Hogwarts?"

"What?"

"Toothless knows the skies. He's flown all around here thousands of times before. I've flown with him a couple times myself. He can take us to the tops of mountains. Valleys, lakes, rivers, neighborhoods… and I'll have you back before curfew easy. Toothless can fly pretty fast, but I'm sure you've picked up on that."

Merida took a few seconds to process everything. "Just… leave Hogwarts?"

"Yeah. We can have a picnic or something. I… I already stored some food in the saddlebags. Some of your favorites." Hiccup went off naming some of Merida's favorite Scottish dishes from DunBroch, and even after a big Christmas dinner at Hogwarts, Merida could feel her stomach opening a little bit with the naming of each dish.

"How did ye manage to get all the food?"

"I'm a Hufflepuff. Our dormitory is fairly close to the kitchen and I happen to have pretty good connections with the house elves."

"Let's go to Crone's Tooth. Ye heard of it?"

Hiccup shook his head, but Toothless perked his ears and began rocketing in its direction. "Whoa, boy!" Hiccup said, jerking back slightly from the sudden movement. "What is Crone's Tooth?"

"It's a steep cliff just a few miles from me home, an' me home is pretty close to Hogwarts. The cliff is home to Fire Falls, a golden waterfall that is said to be drank only by the ancient kings of DunBroch who were brave enough to scale the heights of Crone's Tooth."

"Wouldn't that mean we need to climb it?"

"When me mum and dad told me I was a witch from an extensive pureblood line, I figured me ancestors probably never climbed that cliff anyway an' used broomsticks to reach the waterfall. We're flyin' a dragon. That sounds braver than climbin' any cliff."

Toothless landed on the small edge of the cliff right next to the rushing golden waterfall. The waterfall wasn't actually golden; it was known to reflect the sun's light. No one ever came at night, as passing through a haunted forest and stony ruins was required, but Merida and Hiccup were lucky enough to see what looked like a plate of silver rippling down the face of a rock, glistening in the moonlight.

Merida hurdled off the dragon without giving Hiccup the chance to be a gentleman and escort her down, running towards the waterfall. Cupping her hands, she felt the freezing chill of the water creeping over her hands, and the December wind became daggers. She carefully raised her hands to her mouth and took a long sip, feeling energized and invincible, proud of herself for conquering a goal she'd placed for herself since she was a little toddler. "Hiccup! C'mon; ye got to try this!"

"I thought the waterfall was only for the kings of DunBroch."

"Do I look like a future _king_ to ye?"

"But- fine." Hiccup glanced down at the rocky ground, careful not to fall off the cliff, as he crept closer to the running silvery water. Cupping his hands, the chill of the water didn't seem to affect him as much as it did Merida. She realized it must've been pretty cold in Berk. He took a slow little sip and looked surprised. "It tastes normal."

"Well, yeah; it's not the water itself that's a reward for bravery. It's how ye got up the cliff. The process itself is its own reward."

Hiccup shook his head and walked back over to Toothless, pulling out some containers of food. "Didn't think to bring a picnic blanket."

"Doesn't matter." Merida flopped down on the ground, reaching for a warm buttery tartlet. Biting into it, warmth spread over her, quickly subduing the cold. She closed her eyes with contentment as she heard a rustling in front of her and knew Hiccup had sat down. Swallowing her bite, she said, "Thanks, Hiccup. For everythin'."

Hiccup bit into his own pastry and smiled towards her. "Did you like it?"

"Perfect amount of fillin', golden crust… I'd say one o' the best tartlets I've ever tasted." She laughed, her red curls bouncing as she threw her head back, knowing that wasn't what he meant. "I loved the dragon ride with Toothless. How did ye manage to train him?"

"Well, I'd often come down to that lake watching Toothless sleep to study Night Furies. I know, boy!" Hiccup turned to Toothless, who'd growled softly, but loud enough to be heard over the waterfall. "That was creepy. Anyways." Hiccup took another bite of his food and began explaining how he'd accidently severed the dragon's left tail wing and continued coming down to the lake to feed and take care of Toothless. The only reason Toothless even trusted Hiccup was because the dragon realized he didn't have any better alternative. Hiccup nursed Toothless back to help and even built a prosthetic wing. The dragon couldn't fly without someone on his back operating the wing, and the only person Toothless trusted to do that was Hiccup.

This part of the conversation was boring history to Toothless, and the dragon had softly paced the rocky surface behind Hiccup, thrusting his head towards the waterfall and drinking from it. "If ye came down every night, how did the Dementors not get ye?"

"I hadn't thought about that for a really long time. I wondered the same thing and thought maybe Toothless has some kind of power that radiates a force to keep Dementors away. I asked him, and he said that's true."

So Toothless could understand human language, regardless of the fact he couldn't form it himself. However, the dragon's facial expressions and mannerisms would speak volumes whenever Toothless wanted to communicate something. "Smart boy."

Hiccup laughed nervously and continued eating his pastry. Then, an idea slapped Merida in the face and she felt nervous for not seeing it before. Hiccup wasn't just showing her a dragon, flying around, and having a picnic just because he could; he was trying to impress her. Well, it was working. "So, Hiccup why'd ye show me first?"

Blushing, Hiccup brushed crumbs from his mouth with the back of his hand. "Ah, well, I remembered how you helped me find the Night Fury in the first place and encouraged me to keep researching and bonding with dragons. Without you, I'd have never met Toothless. I really wanted to share all of this with you because you're the one who made it all possible."

Although she felt honored, Merida knew that wasn't the case. "But I was all words, Hiccup. Ye were the one who continued goin' into the Forbidden Forest alone to continue yer mother's research, an' after that, just to bond with a dragon because ye cared 'bout it. Ye had yer heart into it, an' without me, ye would've eventually gone into the forest on yer own accord to study Toothless. Ye understand that yer the brave one here."

Hiccup blushed. "I was scared to drink from a waterfall."

"Bravery doesn't mean yer not scared. It means quite the opposite. Bravery is when even though ye are scared, ye do what's needed an' what's right, thinkin' 'bout others more than yerself. Ye did everythin' for either yer mother or yer dragon. I think ye are very brave. An', honestly, I was a little nervous goin' up to that waterfall. I didn't know what to expect."

"I thought it was going to be this magical enchanted potion that turned us into bears or something," Hiccup laughed.

"No, that's cake."

"What?"

"See, me mum wanted me to get married the summer before me sixth year an' I didn't want to so I went into the forest an' met a creepy ole lady who gave me a cake that if I fed it to me mum would change me fate an' so I fed it to me mum an' she turned into a bear an'… long story short, she's normal now an' don't buy cakes from witches in the middle o' a forest."

Hiccup looked like he didn't follow any of that. "Um… no cakes unless they're made by house elves or a witch or wizard you know and trust. Got it."

"Good." The two of them continued talking about their past, their families, their friends, their homes, and many other things, but Merida found she really bonded with Hiccup over their futures. Merida had to be Queen of DunBroch one day while Hiccup was destined to lead his Viking tribe at Berk. The two of them were deep down not anxious to lead a country and felt the whole idea of "leading" an entire group of people was forced upon them. Merida, as soon as she married, would be forced to take the crown, and betrothal was inevitable. Hiccup, on the other had, would be leading Berk in harmony with his father so he could learn the motions as soon as he got back home. Eventually, when his father found Hiccup to be ready- and Hiccup's father was always forcing things upon him when he wasn't near ready- Hiccup would be leading the tribe on his own accord.

Merida wondered if this was what it was like when Jack and Rapunzel were alone together. If they bonded over certain things that the others wouldn't understand. Merida finally understood how that attraction ultimately formed.

"Well, Merida, the forced marriage thing sounds terrible, but at least it's going to be with the first born son of some other royalty. Chances are, he'll know what he's doing and he'll be able to help you lead the people. I don't know your parents, but if they're anything like you, they'd make sure they hand the kingdom to a man who would be good to the people and their daughter."

Even if he weren't a jerk, Merida still wouldn't be marrying out of love, a corny concept, but an underrated one. She'd be miserable. But she respected Hiccup's gesture to comfort her. "An' ye'll have yer father to guide ye until yer ready. He'll stay with ye an' help ye with whatever ye need, I know it."

Hiccup smiled and looked up at the moon. "It's getting a little late. We should pack up and fly Toothless back to his lake. Then, I'll walk you back to Hogwarts."

Merida shivered. It was getting colder and colder by the minute, and she could feel her lips turning bluer than her dress. "That sounds great." The two of them enjoyed one last ride on the Night Fury, and when he reached the lake, they were greeted with a sight that they never thought they would see.


	13. The Lake

Rapunzel twirled around Ravenclaw Tower in her lavender dress. Any minute now, Jack would come pick her up for their surprise date. Of course, nerves settled in, but Rapunzel loved the fluttery feeling that churned in her stomach. The excitement definitely overcame any worries.

She glanced up at the clock in her tower and watched it chime to the seventh hour. Rapunzel felt as if her air supply cut off, and it finally sunk in. Jack, her boyfriend, was taking her on date. Glancing at her reflection yet again, Rapunzel began having second thoughts about letting her hair flow freely behind her, unbraided. Picking up a strand, she whipped her hair across the room, and the ends slipped around the handle of a hairbrush. She pulled the brush towards her and began going through her hair again, knowing it was definitely too late to put it in a braid and wanting to make sure it looked good.

Just a few minutes later she heard a knock. "Hey, Blondie, I can't figure out the answer to the riddle! You're going to have to come on out."

Tripping over several objects, including the flat floor, on her way out, Rapunzel breathed calmly before she opened the door. "Oh, hey," she said nervously. "So… what do you have planned?"

Jack was standing in his old tan-brown pants from home and that new blue hoodie with the intricate frost embroidery. Rapunzel noticed with glee that he, too, was barefoot. "Well, I have a little present for you. I think you should be able to figure out what we're doing tonight." He handed her a pair of high-laced brown shoes, and as she reached forward to take them, her hands grazed something like a dull blade at the bottom. It didn't cut or hurt her, but it sure confused her.

"Wait… ice skates? We're going ice skating?"

"Yeah. Figured I should teach you. Oh, don't put them on now; we can wait until we get to the lake. Here; I'll carry your pair as well." He took the smaller pair of skates and slung them over his shoulder. "Are you ready?"

Rapunzel was nodding excitedly, but then she realized something. "I've never been ice skating."

"And that's why I'm teaching you."

"You'll hold onto me?"

"I won't let you fall. Don't worry." He took her hand and began leading her through the castle, keeping his eye on his Marauder's Map to make sure no teachers were near as they snuck out of the castle.

"Are we going out on Black Lake?"

"No; Black Lake is way too big. Besides, Slytherin Dungeon, which is underground, has views of the waters below surface, and you can see a bunch of huge animals swimming around underneath there. I figured something smaller would be safer."

"Safe… safe is good."

"The lake I wanted to take you on is a bit into the Forbidden Forest, but don't worry. If necessary, I've gotten really good at my Patronus."

Rapunzel suddenly realized she didn't have her wand, but the fear factor just made the whole thing a little more exciting, and she clung tighter onto Jack's hand. She couldn't believe she was doing this! Mother would be so furious… but, that's ok; what she doesn't know won't kill her. But if she did know… oh my gosh, this would kill her.

As soon she took a step into the snow, she felt a cold breeze nipping at her neck and remembered with slight guilt that she had never put Mother's present on, that beautiful amulet. She hadn't even tried it on yet. Or opened it in private. Sensing her shivering, Jack let go of her hand and wrapped an arm around her for warmth. "Thanks."

He rubbed her arm comfortingly and kissed her on the cheek. Rapunzel practically felt heat spreading through the blood in her veins. "Absolutely." She couldn't help but notice how Jack's pace began to quicken and how excited he seemed to take her skating. As nervous as she was, his excitement began rubbing off on her. Rapunzel wanted to get to that lake as soon as she possibly could.

They finally reached a frozen lake, breaking up the thick clusters of trees. A brilliant moonlight reflected off the lake, casting a brightness that helped Rapunzel see much better. Jack sat down at the bank, slipped on the skates, and began tying his laces. "How did you know this was here?" Rapunzel wondered aloud.

Jack finished a knot and proceeded to tie the second skate. "Slytherin House doesn't really follow the rules. I have a lot of friends who would sneak out into the forest, and one of them casually brought up that there was a clearing filled with a lake. He told me how to get here, but I've actually never skated here. I've just dropped by a couple of times to make sure I knew the way here and back to Hogwarts and to make sure the ice is safe. Oh, I'm sorry," Jack said as Rapunzel sat down next to him. "Here you go." He handed her a pair of ice skates, which she began turning over in her hand.

She slipped them on, and then looked up at Jack bashfully. "I've never worn shoes before."

"I know; it feels different, huh?"

"Um… I actually don't know how to tie them."

Jack looked down at her feet and laughed. "You've got the shoes on the wrong feet, too." He reached down and began fixing them. "This one goes on the right. This one goes on the left."

"Oh, that feels so much more comfortable," she murmured sheepishly. Jack grabbed her face and gave her a quick kiss. "And that feels even better."

Jack laughed and began tying the laces, teaching Rapunzel the loops and pulls as he went along. On the second shoe, Jack watched Rapunzel try, coaching her on where to pull the strings and how to cross them over. It took a while, and it looked absolutely terrible, but Rapunzel smiled proudly at her tied shoelace. Then, she tried to stand. "Whoa!" Jack gripped her elbow before she fell over completely.

"Normally, shoes aren't this hard to balance in. You're just balancing on the skating blades, and that's what makes it difficult." Rapunzel nodded, leaning into him. "Don't worry; I won't let go of you."

Rapunzel cautiously took a step out onto the ice. She expected the blade to cut through and keep her standing, but she found it much harder to balance on the slippery surface. She felt Jack holding onto her and took another step onto the ice, so both her feet were on the lake. Rapunzel suddenly realized she was standing on water. Frozen water, but water nonetheless. "Wow."

She could sense Jack smiling as he stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I knew you'd like it."

Rapunzel held her arms out on either side of her in an attempt to get a better balance. "I love it!"

"Are you ready to go forward?"

Her hands flung downward and she clutched his hands, holding them tighter around her. "I'm ready."

Jack was a great teacher. He told her exactly how to move her feet, and it all made sense. He would give her little pieces of advice, like going faster helped you maintain balance, and staring straight ahead instead of at your feet was also another strange trick to keep yourself from falling over. Eventually, when she said she was ready to try it, Jack stopped holding onto her waist and held her hand gently but firmly, and they skated around side-by-side. Rapunzel tripped and fell a lot. Jack always got her before she hit the ice. Rapunzel forgot the cold winds and closed her eyes, following Jack's lead, letting her hair drift on the ice behind her.

Jack lifted her hand up in the air and began to twirl her, which made her laugh. Knowing she was bound to fall any second, she wasn't all surprised when she fell into Jack's arms, her hands grabbing the front of his hoodie for support. They stood like that in the middle of the lake for a while underneath the spotlight of the full moon, and she leaned into him even more so as he bent down to kiss her.

Wind whipped around them and the air began to thicken, almost becoming frozen solid. Rapunzel suddenly realized what was going on and opened her eyes to see a single Dementor floating toward them. Pushing away, she cried, "Jack!"

He looked around, irritated, and began to pull his wand from the front pocket of his hoodie. "Are you guys for real?" Flicking his wand, he muttered the Patronus spell and effortlessly cast an enormous silvery rabbit. Confused and amazed, Rapunzel opened her mouth to interrogate, but Jack cut her off and just went back to kissing her.

In between gasps for air, she would try asking questions, but Jack would continually cut her off with another long kiss. "How-?"

"Doesn't matter."

"You just-"

"I know."

"But-"

"Shut up and let me kiss you, Blondie!" He held her tighter and she moaned with contentment at his urgency, caressing his face. "Beautiful," he murmured.

Rapunzel had no idea she had all this passion building up inside of her that would burst every time she and Jack kissed, and it seemed that he had the exact same passion breaking from a dam inside himself. Was this how it was going to be from now on? Every talk, every moment leading to a kiss? Not that Rapunzel was complaining.

Suddenly, Jack pulled away, gripping her shoulders as he looked around. "That Dementor brought friends." Rapunzel looked all around her to see in every direction, a black-cloaked figure was floating, accompanied by several others. "Now, it's just getting annoying. _Expecto Patronum_!" Jack concentrated harder than he had with the first one, but no Patronus erupted from this wand. He pulled in Rapunzel in for one more kiss and tried one more time. Jack skated across the lake, towards the closest cluster of Dementors to cast the spell again. Sure enough, that silvery rabbit burst forth. Rapunzel whipped around as she watched the Patronus fly around the lake, warding off every last Dementor.

Rapunzel turned to Jack and smiled, starting toward him. Suddenly, she heard a crack. She looked down at her skates and saw she was standing on cracking ice. She desperately looked up to him. "Jack…"

Jack skated toward her until he was only a few feet away, crouched down on the ice and taking off his skates. "It's ok; it's ok. Don't look down. Just look at me."

"Jack, I'm fine." Rapunzel looked down to the ice and saw the cracks getting thicker and thicker. Suddenly, it slipped from her mouth before she could catch herself: "I'm scared."

"I know." Jack began standing up, walking towards her barefooted on the ice. "But you're going to be all right. You're not going to fall in. We're going to have a little fun instead."

Rapunzel dropped her jaw, unsure what Jack was getting at here. "Fun? We're not going to have any fun!"

"Would I trick you?"

With a smirk, Rapunzel felt a little comfort in teasing him. "Yes, you would. You always play tricks."

"All right, well, not this time." Jack smiled comfortingly. "I promise; you're going to be fine. You have to believe in me." Rapunzel fought the urge to look down at the ice. She could hear the lake's surface cracking below her and knew she probably didn't have more than a minute. Rapunzel kept her eyes on Jack like her life depended on it, because she feared it did. Jack was scanning the area, and his eyes suddenly lit up. "Hey! You want to play game? We're going to play Hopscotch, like we used to play everyday when we were first years."

"Hopscotch."

"Yeah. It's as easy as one…" Jack took a leap across the ice and flung his arms around as he tried to balance on one foot, feigning loosing his equilibrium to distract her from the ice cracking underneath his step as well. "Whoa!" Rapunzel allowed herself a light snicker. "Two… three!"

Jack landed his third bound on the ice by a thin tree branch, crouching down as he wrapped his right hand around it. The branch must've fallen from one of the surrounding trees, was made of a dark musty grayish wood, and fit easily into Jack's palm. It was probably about as tall as he was, and it was long and straight except at the end, which had a wide hook, like a shepherd's staff. Without standing up, Jack slowly extended the hooked end towards her. "What are you doing?" Rapunzel couldn't help but ask aloud.

"All right; now it's your turn." Suddenly, Rapunzel realized Jack's plan. "One." She took a step forward, and the ice cracked deafeningly. "Yes; that's right. You're doing great. Two…" Rapunzel couldn't get herself to take another step and looked at him despairingly. "Three!" he shouted, and as soon as she felt the hook of the staff wrap around her waist, Rapunzel wrapped her hands around her end of the stick, feeling herself swept off her feet and across the icy lake. She began to fall… and landed safely on thick ice at the other end of the lake, the staff skidding away from her.

Jack had partially swung around on the ice too, landing with a thud on his butt. Rapunzel looked up at him with a smile of relief, admiration, and joy. Jack smiled back a smile so big, it looked happy enough to last him the rest of his life. And it did.

Seeing she was safe, Jack began standing up, not realizing he was standing on the ice Rapunzel had been balancing on earlier. Still smiling, the ice shattered underneath him, and quicker than a blink of an eye, he went down. Rapunzel screamed, "Jack!" It wasn't just a yell, but a high-pitched, terrified cry that strangled her. Tears streaming down her face, she lurched for that staff Jack used to save her and began crawling across the ice. She didn't even bother trying to stand up and skate over, knowing that would take much longer. As she got to the hole, the moon above seemed to shine brighter, and Rapunzel could make out his still body, floating a few feet below the icy surface. Hoping clouds wouldn't block out the moonlight, Rapunzel jammed the staff down into the water, hook first, hoping to snag Jack's waist. "Please," she muttered to herself. "Please." She glanced up at the moon, and with one last devastated scream, cried, "Please!"

Rapunzel knew when the crook of the staff hooked around Jack's waist and tried to pull him up as quickly and carefully as possible. As soon as she could reach in, her arm plunged into the icy water, gripping the hood of his blue sweatshirt and yanking him out more efficiently. His body was still, and he wouldn't open his eyes. Rapunzel couldn't tell if a pulse was going, and hoped that Jack's breathing was just shallow and quiet and that's why she couldn't feel or hear it. She couldn't help but feel it was all her fault.

Wrapping her hair around his limp body, she tried to get herself to stop crying in order to sing her song to heal him. She owed him at least that much, most certainly more.

_Flower, gleam and glow_

_Let your power shine _

Her hair began glowing, and the golden light streaked from her head down her locks slowly. She thought she saw his eyes flutter once the glow reached his body, and Rapunzel had a little more hope swell inside her. She continued singing the lines slowly to make sure her entire hair would glow for the strongest healing powers for the longest time. Rapunzel barely dared to take a breath in between notes.

_Make the clock reverse_

_Bring back what once was mine_

Then, something strange began happening. Through her teary eyes, Rapunzel saw her hair wasn't glowing golden anymore. Her hair was still blond, no doubt, but it began glowing silver, and she felt as if another power was channeling through her. Looking up at the moon, Rapunzel felt the December air steadily growing warmer as the moon's glow shined brighter. She didn't understand what was going on, but she wasn't going to pause to try to figure it out.

_Heal what has been hurt_

_Change the fates' design _

Jack's eyelids were fluttering without opening. His breathing was getting stronger. His chest rose higher. Slowly, he began to change. His skin got slightly paler, but it still glowed with health. In fact, even though it was pale, it mysteriously looked healthier than before. But that wasn't all that was changing.

_Save what has been lost_

_Bring back what once was mine_

_What once was mine _

Even after she finished her song, Rapunzel's hair continued glowing silver. Jack's body was growing colder and colder in her lap, but he was starting to look more and more alive. His hair started turning whiter than the snow around them, but instead of looking elderly and faded, it looked strikingly energetic and fresh. As the glow of her hair subsided, Rapunzel glanced with confusion at her blond locks. They'd never done anything like this before. And when Jack's eyes fluttered open, she was staring down into two miniature clear blue ponds; his pupils were the holes he drowned in. He looked up at her, confused. "I drowned."

Tears flooded from her eyes, and Rapunzel gathered Jack's limp body toward her in a hug. As he hugged her back, Rapunzel realized Jack wasn't limp or weak. He was stronger. "What happened?" he muttered

She stared into those icy eyes and saw their old amber gleam. Telling him everything, Jack looked down into the clear ice to catch his reflection and screamed as he did so, backing up on his butt as a reflex. As he scooted backward, one of his hands landed on that wooden staff. Suddenly, Rapunzel realized Jack was backing toward the hole he'd fallen into earlier. "No!" She reached her hand out, but Jack's hand plunged into the icy hole first.

Expecting him to fall, Rapunzel was speechless when the hole in the ice solidified underneath his hand. Jack set down the staff and reached into that front pocket of his hoodie, and, surprisingly, his wand hadn't fallen from his pocket as he'd drowned. Jack pulled out the wand, examining it. "What kind of spell does that?"

Rapunzel glanced to the frozen-over hole Jack had drowned in, up at the moon, and down towards the hole again. She was having a sense of déjà vu. An underwater moon… "Jack." Rapunzel could tell her voice never sounded more serious in her life. "The crystal ball and Professor Trelawney's prophecy."

Jack's eyes widened. "But… what does that have to do with the… this?" Jack gestured to the hole he'd frozen.

Rapunzel remembered the frost coating over the crystal ball. She had just assumed that was symbolic for Jack's last name, Frost. But what she began to wonder. "Jack, give me your wand."

Uncertain, but trusting, Jack handed over the wand. "Why?"

"Grab that staff."

Jack grabbed the staff in his right hand. Suddenly, frost began spreading up and down the rod, as if leaking from his palm. "What's going on, Rapunzel?"

"I'm trying to figure it out." Rapunzel, still kneeling on the ice, watched Jack stand up. "Isn't the cold bothering your feet? You're walking on ice!"

Shaking his white locks, Jack shrugged. "Not at all. Why?" Jack stabbed the staff lazily into the ice and jumped back as frost began shooting from its tip. "What the actual heck?" Tapping the ice a few more times, the same thing happened. Frost began surging through the tip of the staff. Walking over to a tree, Jack tapped the bark and watched the same affects taking place. He then ran across the ice over to Rapunzel, dragging the staff behind him, so beautiful frost designs spread over the ice. "You've got to try this Rapunzel!" Jack thrust the staff towards her, but as soon as he let go, the thin layer of frost that coated the wood dissolved. Rapunzel poked the ice underneath her, but the only thing she could do with the staff was using it to help herself stand up on the ice. Even then, Jack had to help her part of the way up. "Why isn't the staff working?"

Rapunzel smiled and handed the staff back to Jack. As soon as he gripped it, frost began coating the wood again. "I think the staff only works when you're using it."

Jack cocked his head to the side. "But why wouldn't it- ah!" A powerful gust of wind blew across the lake, and Rapunzel stared in awe as Jack began floating upward, actually flying. No broomstick. No wand. Just a random wooden staff that could help Jack freeze over holes in ice and create intricate frost designs.

"Jack, that's amazing! How are you doing that?" Jack, on the other hand, was looking terrified.

"I don't know!" The wind blew again, and Jack did a flip in the air before falling back down to the lake, screaming.

"Try to control your fall!" Rapunzel yelled frantically, hoping it would work. "Control the winds! Make them support you!"

Inches before Jack's face would plant into the ice, he managed to freeze his fall. Dropping the staff with relief, Jack lost his control over the wind and finished the rest of his descent with a sharp thud. "Ouch."

Rapunzel tried skating over to him and found herself skating backwards. Jack floated over to her, chuckling, with the staff gripped in his right hand. With a smirk, she said, "Sorry. Not all of us can fly across ice."

Jack landed on the ice and reached down to pick up his skates, which Rapunzel had long forgotten about. He carelessly slung them over his shoulder. "I have no idea what's going on, but it's incredible."

Blinking, Rapunzel struggled to see Jack behind the white hair and blue eyes. It was his voice, his personality, his face, his smile, and even his upturned eyebrows. He didn't have that youthful flush anymore, instead a pale complexion. But it was him. There was no doubt about that. "Incredible," she replied. _Magical_, she thought, but magic was underrated when you go to a school of witchcraft and wizardry.

"You ok? You seem a little flustered."

Rapunzel realized her mouth hung open in awe and slammed her jaw upward. She returned Jack's wand to him. "You said it yourself; you have no idea what's going on!"

"Yeah, but I just go with it." Rapunzel narrowed her eyes, noticing Jack inspecting his reflection in the ice in between every other word. "I can fly!"

"So you're not the least bit curious about what's going on?"

"Well, isn't it obvious? The moon somehow interfered with your healing powers and now I'm pale like the moon and I have power over some wintery type things, like ice and frost and winds. I wonder if I can make it snow."

Jack raised his staff and shook it like a baby shaking his rattle. Rapunzel, however, shook her head like a disbelieving observer of some magic trick as snowflakes began sparkling underneath the moonlight from the tips of that staff. "Ok, but why? Why did the moon interfere? How did the moon interfere? What- what is this?" Rapunzel gestured to Jack, hoping it was obvious she implied his new powers.

"Hmm, ok, why is snow white? Why is ice cold? Why, if the moon reflects the sun's golden light, does the moon cast a silver glow? There's an answer to all of these, I'm sure, if you stick your nose in a book and search for it. If you really want to know what's going on, you should know the last person to ask is me. I'm stupid!" Jack sounded awfully gleeful at that last remark. Rapunzel realized her jaw was hanging open and gnashed her teeth together. Jack's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Did I offend you?"

No, but he sure was bugging her. Rapunzel wasn't going to say that, though, because she didn't want to ruin the evening. Oh, wait, she already did. She was entirely responsible for his drowning, powers, and new image. Well maybe not entirely the powers and new image. But the moon worked through her to create that. "Jack, it's not you, it's this situation. What the hell is going on?" Hyperventilating, Rapunzel had the urge to pace, but she was already engaged in a struggle to remain standing.

Jack walked over to her and put his left arm around her waist. Expecting a kiss, Rapunzel put her arms around his shoulders, which was a lucky move on her part as Jack raised the staff in his right hand and shot high into the sky. Screaming, she huddled into him, the only thing that kept her from falling into the icy lake below. "See? This isn't all that bad, is it, Rapunzel? Just take your mind off of the logic behind everything and go where the wind blows."

"Yes, but not literally!" she shrieked, wrapping her legs around his body. Jack moved his arm away from her waist and underneath her thighs to support her better. "How are you not freaked out about this?"

"Simple; just choose not to be."

"That makes… _no_ sense!"

"Things don't have to make sense to be true."

"Like what?"

"Your hair."

"Ok, well, that's different."

"How?"

"It does make some sense. It's probably a rare wizard trait that comes from my father's side of the family."

"Hey, maybe I have a family trait that makes me have silver hair and blue eyes underneath the moonlight of my seventeenth Christmas!"

"Does your family have-?"

"No, but they aren't wizards, either. You can't assume all powers are inherited."

Rapunzel got quiet contemplating the power of his words. "So there's a chance my father has nothing to do with my hair?"

Jack realized what he said and gave it thought. "Yeah. There is. I'm still going to help you search for him; that's definite. But maybe he has nothing to do with your hair. Maybe your hair is unexplainable. But the best things in life are unexplainable."

Her mind was whirling, trying to calculate a million things at once before his words sunk in. _But the best things in life are unexplainable_. Overwhelmed with the day's events and the sudden revelation, Rapunzel leaned forward to kiss Jack. What's the worth of floating midair in the arms of your boyfriend if you don't kiss him, anyway? That was common sense.

Like every other time they'd kissed, time was immeasurable. It could've been seconds or a good hour when they heard a voice overhead. "Rapunzel, is that ye?"

Rapunzel and Jack both looked up in confusion, and her mind began thinking a thousand things. Merida was going to be so confused that Rapunzel was kissing a random guy in midair with white hair that Merida sure as hell didn't recognize. Hiccup was there with Merida. Hiccup and Merida were flying on a black dragon.

So, Rapunzel decided her new life motto would be: "The best things in life are unexplainable", because that, right there, explained everything.

Jack floated down to the ground- well, more like fell and slowed the descent just seconds before his feet hit the ice- and the dragon landed on the snow bank besides the lake. Hiccup and Merida leapt off the dragon, and Rapunzel caught sight of a saddle. Hiccup had been flying the dragon, not just flying on it. Narrowing her own blue eyes, Merida's gaze bore into Jack's, scandalized and offended, then utterly confused. "Jack, is that ye?"

Hiccup looked at Merida as though she were insane, shaking his head frantically. "Jack doesn't have white hair and blue eyes… but does have that exact same blue hoodie. Son of a Pitch, what's going on?"

"Are you asking us?" Jack asked, gliding over to them as he held Rapunzel's hand in his free hand to help her skate across the lake towards Merida and Hiccup. "You're the ones flying on a dragon!" Jack landed on the ice.

"And you're the one who just flew using a stick!" Rapunzel stressed for what seemed to be the billionth time.

Hiccup fainted. "Naturally," Merida muttered, picking him up and slapping his face lightly until he began to stir. "But, Jack… is that really ye, Jack?"

Taking a breath as he waited for Hiccup to regain full consciousness, Jack began to tell the entire story, leaving out every kissing scene except for the one the dragon barged in on. Rapunzel was glad to hear him including the part where Rapunzel made the connection of the night's events to the prophecy, but Jack seemed to lose Hiccup at the glowing hair. Merida explained that part. Then, in pure silence, Hiccup decided to accept it, no questions, recounting his event with the big black dragon named "Toothless". Hiccup's was the longest story, and, as crazy as taming a dragon was, made quite a bit more sense.

Another silence followed. Finally, Merida dared to laugh. "Ye know, Rapunzel, when we flew in an' saw ye snoggin' a random white-haired boy an' floatin' in mid-air, I didn't know what to think!"

"Um, I think from this point on, logical thinking is going to prove itself completely irrelevant and useless to our situations." Rapunzel sighed, as logic, the one thing she held onto with complete confidence, was slipping away. At least she still had her friends.

Now caught up on everything in each other's lives, Jack put his hands into the pocket of his hoodie, his staff balancing in the crook of his right elbow. "Well, guys, we should probably head back to Hogwarts." Suddenly, Jack's eyes widened. He dropped the staff and pulled the wand from his pocket, patting frantically as he slurred profanities. Rapunzel was at first a little shocked, but became intrigued as she learned at least five new words. "The map," Jack panted. "The Marauder's Map."

Rapunzel gasped, her hands flying over her mouth. "It fell out of your pocket when you drowned, didn't it?"

Jack angrily stabbed the ice with his staff, and the intricate frost design spread beautifully across the entire lake. "I have the school memorized: the classrooms, the halls, and the short cuts. If I'm forgetting to name something, it doesn't mean I don't know it. But how are we supposed to know where the professors are when we try to sneak out of Hogwarts? How are we supposed to spy on Pitch?"

"Can't we try to get the map back?" Hiccup pulled his wand from a saddlebag. "You know…" Pointing his wand across the lake, Hiccup muttered the fire spell, burning a hole into the ice. "_Accio Marauder's Map_!" The four were silent. "Maybe it just floated to the top of the water. Ah, Jack, want to fly over and see if I failed epically?"

Jack smiled at Hiccup sympathetically. "Hey, if you failed, there's no way any of us could do any better." Jack glided across the lake, but sure enough, came back, braving a grim smile. "Sorry, man; it's gone."

It was like another weight piled onto Rapunzel's chest. She felt responsible for him drowning and losing his Marauder's Map. Her words of comfort would be completely worthless, so she left the consolation to Merida and Hiccup.

Rapunzel allowed her gaze to drift over to Hiccup's Night Fury, Toothless. Her green eyes locked with the yellow of the dragon, and a shiver ran down her spine. However did Hiccup bulk up the courage to train that thing? Not just Hiccup; how could anyone bulk up the courage to train that thing? Rapunzel wanted to run off in the opposite direction, but its gaze paralyzed her.

Tuning back into the conversation, Rapunzel heard Hiccup complaining. "I know, but still, it makes no sense! You drown, the moon intervenes, and bam!"

Merida, however, was siding with Jack. "Does it matter how it happened? The bloke's alive, for cryin' out loud!"

"But why?"

"Hey, guys?" Merida and Hiccup turned to Rapunzel. "Jack and I have already debated this right before you got here and it got nowhere."

"Really? 'Cause right before we got here, ye were snoggin' an'-"

Jack snorted. "Oh, like you weren't!"

"We weren't!" Hiccup protested.

"You were on a cliff, enjoying a picnic by a rushing waterfall, and had reached your destination by flying a dragon. Sounds like a date, and a date means-"

"Jack, would ye trust us? It wasn't like that at all!" Merida's face flamed with embarrassment.

"But you aren't protesting it was a date?" Merida and Hiccup kept opening and closing their mouths, glancing sideways at one another and seeming overall generally confused and embarrassed. "Yeah. Thought so."

"Ok; you guys know what? It's late, and we should get back to the castle and sleep on everything. That's what we need more than anything. A long, long sleep."

Merida yawned, and Hiccup said, "I agree with you, Rapunzel. I'm tired."

Jack cocked his head in confusion. "I'm not."

"It's the adrenaline," Rapunzel reasoned. "You've had a long day and your brain's having trouble unwinding. As soon as you lay down in bed, you'll probably only have seconds before you drift off." Rapunzel sat down and began untying the laces of her skates and stood up back on her bare feet.

Taking the skates so she wouldn't have to carry them, Jack said, "I'll just take your word for it. C'mon, guys; let's go." Hiccup said a good-bye to Toothless, and Merida even dared to pet the dragon's nose. Jack cast one last long glance to the icy lake and patted his front pocket, accepting the Marauder's Map was gone. Rapunzel watched him slip his wand into that same pocket and grip the staff tighter as the four walked back to the castle in the cold December night. Jack's arm went around Rapunzel's shoulders and held her tightly, but she felt no warmth from his embrace. He was disturbingly cold.


	14. Death & DunBroch

"So… you're back." Jack leapt up in surprise as Flynn's voice rose from an armchair facing the fireplace in the Slytherin Common Room. "How did little Jacky's date go?"

"Dude, you need to quit it with the 'Jacky' thing."

"Did you get some?"

"Excuse me?"

"Were you with her?"

"Of course; I told you, I was taking her ice skating. You're the one who told me about the lake anyways." Jack dragged the staff and began walking over to another chair in front of the fireplace.

"No, I mean… were you _with_ her?"

"Flynn!" Jack froze in the middle of the Common Room floor. "We were ice skating! What do you think-?"

"Everything's better on ice," Flynn said with a chuckle, turning around in his armchair so face Jack. "I knew you wouldn't have the guts, but-" Flynn screamed and fell backwards off the chair. Suddenly, Jack remembered his stark white hair and blue eyes. The creepy wooden staff topped with a shepherd's crook that slightly towered above him probably added to the disturbing image.

"Oh, yeah, um, long story." Flynn just continued staring at Jack, looking as if someone stabbed him in the stomach. "But, hey, check this out!" Jack jammed the staff at the ground and watched the designs of frost creep along the floor.

Jack may've as well smacked Flynn's head with a frying pan, because the guy just collapsed in shock. Jack walked over, still barefoot. For some reason, since the incident, he couldn't stand the thought of shoes; they were just boxes to ensnare his feet and separate him from the earth. Shaking his head, Jack wondered where in the world he got that thought.

Even weirder, Jack puffed out his cheeks and blew a cold gust of wind from his mouth, which made the room drop a couple degrees and woke Flynn up almost instantly. Jack didn't even figure out what he'd done until the aftermath and just ignored it. "You ok, man?" Jack walked over to Flynn and leaned on his staff.

"Ah… uh-huh. Yeah. Ok." Flynn got on his butt and began scooting backwards nervously. "What… who… how… you are Jack?"

"Rapunzel took this so much better," Jack muttered, extending the end of his staff to Flynn, who used it to support himself back up to a standing position.

"So this happened while you were on the lake?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

Jack realized he was going to have to fabricate some story to protect not only himself but also Rapunzel. "Ok… we were ice skating, and the ice began cracking underneath Rapunzel, so I used the stick to pull Rapunzel away, and I accidently fell in instead. She used the stick to pull me up, and… then this."

Flynn wasn't the sharpest Basilisk fang and took the weak explanation, nodding in wonder. "Wow. So, did that ruin the date or did the heroic act butter her up to think you're just this amazing-"

"I didn't save her to impress her; I saved her because I cared about her."

"No! That's not how it works! The girls care about the man. You, as the man, must make them care. You don't have to like them back."

"Flynn, you're sick. When are you going to get that girls aren't games but people? Maybe that's why Rapunzel never went for you when you were constantly hitting on her. She's so innocent, she didn't even realize that when jerks treat girls like objects, that's a mode of impressing them."

"Jack, calm down! Deep down, girls know they want it."

"Deep down, you know you want a real woman. You need someone strong who's going to help you see the world better. One day, you'll meet a girl like that and you'll see how wrong you were."

"Well, well, well, little Miss Feminist. I'm heading off to bed." Jack watched Flynn yawn and strut over to the dorm for fourth year boys, and Jack was kind of relieved that he didn't have to share a bedroom with Flynn when there were so many more available. That would just be beyond awkward.

Jack got underneath his covers, but couldn't stand the warmth. It was choking him. Kicking the blankets off the bed, Jack tossed and turned, trying to get into a comfortable position. He couldn't sleep.

Glancing up at the clock every few minutes, Jack saw that he didn't get a wink of sleep all night. Finally, at five thirty the next morning, he crawled out of bed. Breakfast wasn't going to be served for a while, but Jack wasn't hungry. Not one bit.

Not tired, not hungry, and not able to stand excessive warmth. Jack felt his face. Cold as ice. It was like touching a dead body. Gripping the staff, Jack began breathing heavily. _Oh, good, _he realized,_ I'm breathing. I'm not a zombie._

Still confused and… he admitted it to himself… scared, Jack stood and decided to make his way down to Dumbledore's office. Whatever was going on definitely had to do with the prophecy Jack mentioned. Jack decided he was just going to have to come clean with everything. The only problem was, he didn't want to get everybody else in trouble. Rapunzel, Merida, and Hiccup were all in the Forbidden Forest. Hiccup had gone multiple times training that dragon, Toothless, and both he and Merida had flown on its back off of school grounds. Rapunzel didn't do anything wrong, considering Jack dragged her into the forest himself. The whole situation was entirely his fault. But Rapunzel might still get in trouble for it. The Head Girl! Breaking the rules! Plus, Jack didn't want to spill Rapunzel's secret.

But something wasn't right. Jack couldn't eat or sleep, and he wasn't in the least tired or hungry. His skin was pale cold. He was turning into some winter fairy or something. Standing tall, Jack compared his height to his staff. He hadn't shrunk any shorter than last night. Feeling his back cautiously, Jack didn't feel wings exploding from in between his shoulder blades. Jack scowled. He was just being paranoid.

Dragging the staff, Jack quietly left Slytherin Dungeon and waited outside Ravenclaw Tower. He needed to speak to Rapunzel, even though she was going to find him extremely creepy waiting outside her dormitory.

Luckily, Rapunzel was a pretty early riser. Even on weekends, she'd wake up at around seven. "Jack! What are you doing?"

"I couldn't sleep at all last night."

"I know; it took me a while to fall asleep, too."

"No, Rapunzel, I did not sleep one minute last night. And I'm not tired."

Rapunzel pursed her lips. "It must've been pretty stressful for you. We should head down to breakfast."

"I'm not hungry, either!" The words slipped from him before Rapunzel even finished the word "breakfast".

"You can't sleep or eat, and that concerns you more than the fact you survived drowning in icy waters and had your physical features magically change colors and now possess the ability to control winter weather or something."

"Feel me!" Jack pressed a hand to her cheek, and Rapunzel flinched. "I'm ice cold and it doesn't bother me one bit!"

Rapunzel reached her own hand up to Jack's face and flinched again as another part of her skin connected with his. "Freezing. You were like this last night, too, but we were both outside and you went underwater so I just assumed we were both cold, especially you-"

"I want to talk to Dumbledore."

Rapunzel didn't even interject with his proper title, "professor". She just nodded. "We need to tell him everything."

"Even your hair?"

Squeezing her eyes shut, Rapunzel whispered, "We need to tell Professor Dumbledore everything."

Jack took Rapunzel's hand and clutched it for his own comfort, but he could tell it made Rapunzel feel better as well. "C'mon."

The two of them set off down the hallway, and Jack hoped that Dumbledore would be awake. They'd better make it to his office soon so they could talk to him in private in the Headmaster's office before breakfast.

"It's open," Jack marveled. Sure enough, the gargoyle that blocked the entrance to the Headmaster's office had moved aside to a staircase that spiraled upward.

"Professor Dumbledore has been keeping his door open for a while. As if he's expecting someone to come to him." Rapunzel glanced at Jack, and he cringed. The possibility that she was right was slim. The actuality was she probably was.

Jack led her up the stairs and stopped at the wooden door at the top. It was slightly ajar. Pushing it open, Jack peered inside and instantly pushed Rapunzel back, who yelped. Gripping her shoulders, he breathed heavily. "This isn't real."

"Jack, are you ok?"

He managed to meet her green eyes, so innocent, so full of curiosity. It made the whole situation ten times worse. "Don't look in there."

"What?"

"Just… just wait." Rapunzel nodded trustingly, and Jack slowly walked back to the door, peering inside the office. Sure enough, right in front of the desk, Dumbledore's body sprawled across the floor, limp. His blue eyes, hanging open, were as glassy as marbles. His white beard cascaded down his body like sheet for an endless sleep. His mouth hung open as if trying to convey a last message.

Jack fell back from the door and stumbled to the ground in a sitting position, rocking back and forth on his rear as he clutched his knees. His staff clattered to the floor in front of him. "Jack, what's going on?"

Throatily, the answer fumbled out of his mouth. "I think Professor Dumbledore is dead. Maybe murdered."

Rapunzel blinked. "No." She looked inside the office and let out a squeak. "No!" she whispered, lowering herself to the ground as she scooted toward Jack. He opened his arms, and Rapunzel burrowed into them, heaving great sobs. Suddenly, something struck Jack. He didn't know if now was the time to mention it, but he said it as soon as the thought struck him.

"Didn't Merida say Professor Dumbledore had the Elder Wand?"

"What?"

"Pitch killed Professor Dumbledore for the Elder Wand."

"Jack! This is going way too far!"

"Well, he's dead and he hasn't got his wand, now has he?"

"That doesn't mean one professor in particular is behind every diabolical happening!"

"At the teashop! Pitch was talking about stealing the Elder Wand from Professor Dumbledore!"

"No, he was talking about putting a girl underneath the Imperius Curse to steal the Elder Wand from 'him'. He never specified who 'him' was."

"But Pitch said he'd kill 'him'."

"Maybe it wasn't murder! Maybe he died of natural causes! Professor Dumbledore was a great man, but he was getting older!"

Jack looked at her sadly. He didn't want to bring the world crashing down on her, but he unrolled his right sleeve to reveal the "Mudblood" scar he'd gotten from a fellow student, Bigfoot, who used the Cruciatus Curse while under the Imperius Curse used by Pitch. "Remember? Your hair can't heal curses. Use your hair and try to bring him back. You said you healed a dead squirrel before." Suddenly, the idea of bringing back the dead wasn't so funny. "If you can't bring him back… we'll know."

Rapunzel crawled on all fours and wrapped her hair around an empty right hand. Jack searched the professor's robes. "No wand?" Rapunzel squeaked. Jack hated to admit it, but nodded grimly. Rapunzel began to sing her song, which only led to disappointment. She shook uncontrollably. "Mother was right. The world is filled with terrible people." And she burrowed her head in the great Dumbledore's chest and sobbed.

* * *

Hiccup had retreated to the Forbidden Forest to see Toothless upon hearing the news, much to the chagrin of his friends, worried of Dementors. But he didn't care.

Tears were beating his eyes, and when he stumbled upon the lake, the lack of trees overhead made the hailstorm fall harder down his back. Squinting his eyes, he made out the glossy black body of his Night Fury and ran to him. Toothless looked up in surprise as Hiccup threw himself against the dragon and began sobbing into his scales.

Suddenly, the hail overhead seemed to stop. No, it was still going; Hiccup could hear it, but it wasn't hitting his head anymore. Hiccup looked up to see a big black wing sheltering him from the storm overhead and those big yellow eyes of his faithful companion staring into him with comfort.

"D-Dumbledore's dead." Hiccup sniffed and huddled close into Toothless. "I couldn't let the others see me like this."

Toothless stuck his nose down toward Hiccup in a comforting gesture, nuzzling him gently. Hiccup imagined him saying: _It's ok, man. Go ahead and cry. It takes strength to admit something terrible is wrecking you inside._

Hiccup tried to speak, but just continued to take in shaky breaths. After a while, he heard a clanking metal. Rubbing his eyes, he looked up to see Toothless nuzzling the saddle, trying to get Hiccup's attention. "Yeah," he muttered. "A fly would do me good."

So he mounted, not at all bothered by the cold as he came from Viking climates, and Toothless soared above the clouds to avoid the hailstorm. Gliding peacefully through the air, Hiccup leaned his head back as the winds brushed his hair back wildly. Any tears were immediately brushed from his face. Suddenly, his Viking helmet flew off his head. "Toothless!" Hiccup's strangled cry rang through the winds. "My helmet!"

Curving his body sharply, the dragon dove silently after the gift from Hiccup's father, the matching Viking helmet from Hiccup's mother's breastplate. Slightly disturbing gift, but Hiccup knew his father meant well.

Toothless stretched open his mouth and caught the helmet. "Great," Hiccup said with a chuckle. "Dragon slobber." Toothless shot him a mean look and dropped the helmet on purpose. "Sorry! C'mon, man, I was just teasing!" Toothless reluctantly continued the dive.

He retrieved the helmet a second time a second too late, as Toothless plunged into a huge pile of snow. Hiccup tumbled off of the saddle into the mound, partially buried in snow. He spit out a mouthful and stretched an open palm towards his dragon. "Helmet." Toothless dropped the slobbered headgear, and Hiccup grimaced, putting it on his head reluctantly. "Good boy. Now, where are we?"

Hiccup stood up and brushed the snow off his slacks and, turning around, saw Hogwarts castle in the distance. He knew Toothless could fly that distance easily, so he wasn't worried. Hiccup looked around again to get a better idea of his bearings and saw two figures walking in his direction several meters away.

They were carrying a lantern, and considering they were far off, Hiccup found it highly probable that even though he saw them, they didn't see him. "Quiet, boy, get down," Hiccup whispered, as he kneeled back down into the snow mound. The blizzard hid whatever part of them wasn't huddled behind the snowy pile, but it also hid the voices of the couple, and Hiccup didn't know it was Pitch until he saw his face.

"I buried the supply in the snow. Give me a second, darling." Pitch drew his wand. Or, rather, Dumbledore's wand. The Elder Wand. "_Accio Imelda Staunton's hair_." Hiccup didn't know what to think when just a few feet away from him, a huge bag of hair flew out of the snow into Pitch's outstretched hand. Hiccup was drenched in dragon slobber leaking from his helmet, but the bag of human hair flying across a snowstorm was notably much more disconcerting.

"Don't call me 'darling'," a woman's cold voice purred with startling authority. "Who's Imelda Staunton?"

"Just some woman I killed."

"You swore not to kill another wizard until finishing off that dreadful Jackson."

"Imelda's a Muggle, my dear."

"You dare suggest I take on the form of a Muggle?"

"Well, you most certainly couldn't take on the form of an actual witch; identity theft is closely monitored by the Ministry for Magic. This would be so much easier."

"I will not take a polyjuice potion to take on the identity of a Muggle!"

"You aren't any better! A Squib!"

"But I have brains, common sense, and social graces, all of which you lack!"

"Don't argue with me. Unless you have a better idea."

The lady under the black cloak pulled a hair from the bag and put it in a flask Hiccup hadn't noticed she'd been carrying. She then drank from the bottle and began to shrink until she was about the height of an eleven-year-old boy. "My. This Imelda is a short woman."

"The less dangerous you look, the better. Now she most certainly won't recognize you. The potency of the polyjuice potion can sustain you for up to twelve hours; I made sure of that. You must take it twice a day to remain unidentifiable by your daughter."

"She's not my daughter, that daft brat. And must I take form of a Muggle?"

"I already explained this to you! It's easier to impersonate a Muggle than another witch so you don't get caught! Once more I ask: do you have a better idea? Because your last one seemed to fail, and I had to do the dirty work and kill Dumbledore myself instead of using that girl! The cursed bracelet you sent was a failure!"

"It wasn't even a bracelet, Ishmael!"

"We are not on first name basis; how many times must I remind you? Nevertheless, you failed. If it weren't for your tempting offer, I'd have thrown you to the Dementors long ago."

"And you will use the power of Dementors to destroy them?"

"You've made it clear I can't use that girl until I destroy them."

Pitch knelt in the snow and began burying the bag of hair, and the woman shuddered in the snow. "And how am I supposed to do… your plan if I can't do magic?"

Pitch just laughed at the woman, and Hiccup could tell the woman had probably never felt more vulnerable. "I have a way. You do understand you'll be doing great by refraining from using magic. It will weaken Jackson, put him out of practice."

"I suppose you're right. But why are we hiding this bag of hair out in the snow?" Pitch suddenly froze. "Honestly, my dear professor, surely you realize you could keep it in the castle with the supply of potion, couldn't you?" Pitch snarled angrily, and Hiccup watched the tables turn as the serenity of the woman conquered Pitch's temperamental character. "Why did you even bother to hide the hair here?"

"I killed her out here. Cut off all her hair, burned her body, and buried the ashes in that snow mound." Pitch pointed to the pile Hiccup was squatting in, and Hiccup realized with a sudden jolt he was hiding in a dead woman's resting place. "She came from that village over there." Hiccup watched carefully as Pitch pointed in another direction north of Hogwarts. "Now, come; we must return to Hogwarts."

Hiccup looked up at Toothless as soon as they walked far off. "Let's fly to that village, boy." Both the boy and his dragon were eager to leave the burial place. Hiccup straddled the dragon and they streaked off into the sky, over to the village that wasn't too far off. It was late evening, so people were still walking around in the village, laughing and selling and buying. Toothless landed undetected outside of the stony walls of the city. The blizzard also blurred vision, making Toothless undetectable in the shadows. "I'll hurry. Don't worry. I just… I want to see what I can find." And Hiccup dashed around the walls into the village.

Hiccup found the entrance and began walking through the gates. Suddenly, as if appearing out of nowhere, two javelins crossed in front of him. Hiccup looked up to see two soldiers blocking his path: a tall man with no meat on his bones and a short, stout man who was very round. The tall, lanky one said, "Halt! Who are ye?"

The accent sounded familiar, but Hiccup was too shaken up to think about it. "Um…" He decided on the honest answer. "My name's Hiccup."

"An' where ye from?" the fat guy said, glaring up at him. Considering the soldier was so short, it wasn't at all intimidating.

"Sorry. Right, ah… my name Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, son of Stoic the Vast, the leader of the Viking tribe on the island of Berk."

The soldiers blinked. "Ye said first born son?" the tall one asked.

"I never said that, but that's right. I'm the only son. Only child, really. Why?"

"Ye ain't from any o' the other clans, are ye?" the short one asked, confused. "MacGuffin? Macintosh? Dingwall?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Is the king expectin' ye?" the skinny one asked.

"Well, o' course he is! Yer a first-born son o' a tribe leader, aren't ye?" the fat guy retorted. "Sir Haddock, allow us to escort ye to meet the king an' queen!"

Hiccup opened his mouth to ask a question, but the tall guard just slung his arm around Hiccup's shoulders as the three walked into the village. "We weren't expectin' prospective suitors until summer when the princess returns!"

Hiccup tried to keep up with everything. First-born sons courting the crown princess were coming in the summer and Hiccup was the first of them, as he arrived in the winter in the middle of a blizzard. Hiccup wanted to correct them, but it was at the point where it would just be too embarrassing for them. "Well, if the princess isn't here, I'll just-"

"Why do ye need to meet the girl?" The fat guy said, cackling. "It's the father ye need to impress."

Hiccup shook his head. "Um…"

"Hopefully he'll be available for an audience. Ye've traveled far?" The tall one rubbed his nose from the cold as he picked up the conversation.

"Well, Berk is an island off of Norway."

"Not too far from the highlands o' Scotland if ye come by boat."

"Yeah," Hiccup replied, looking down at the short guard. "Boat."

And before he knew it, Hiccup entered the castle and was waiting for an audience with the king and queen. As he waited, Hiccup suddenly remembered that he was still drenched in dragon slobber from Toothless. Wiping his hair with his sleeve, Hiccup realized he didn't really need to impress the king and queen anyway because he didn't have any intention of marrying their daughter.

The idea made Hiccup sick, and he realized his vision was going funky when a little redheaded boy, probably around five or six years old, came running toward him and Hiccup saw three boys instead. Blinking, Hiccup saw that he wasn't seeing triple. Three identical redheaded boys who resembled cherubs came running toward him, giggling as they offered him a teacake.

"Well, hello!" Hiccup leaned down to the boys, thinking they looked oddly familiar. "Are you triplets?"

The middle triplet just held out the teacake to Hiccup, who chuckled, taking a bite. "Ugh!" Hiccup spat out the bite, and the three little boys began laughing hysterically. "I, ah, think this cake has a little too much salt," Hiccup squeaked, and the boys just giggled and ran off. "Yeah!" Hiccup called off, as he dropped the rest of the cake in a decorative vase. "Very clever." And not even a second after, Hiccup heard footsteps booming through the castle. A huge, burly redheaded man with a hook on his left hand began running towards him.

"Ah! Ye must be Hiccup!"

"And you must be those triplets' father- oomph!" The man cut off Hiccup's circulation as they shook hands. "Aha! Firm grip, sir."

"So, ye express interest in marryin' me daughter?" As the man said this, a woman with brown hair braided down the sides gracefully glided through the corridor toward the over-enthusiastic redheaded man who must've been the king. The glittering tiara in her hair must've meant that the brunette woman was the queen, and sure enough, the man said: "Oi! This is me wife! Queen Elinor!"

"Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you, miss. And what may I call you, sir?"

"King Fergus. Or dad, once I'm yer father-in-law!" The man threw back his head laughing, and suddenly grew serious. "Unless yer not good enough for me daughter."

"Uh-huh."

"Tell us about yerself, Sir Haddock," the queen said, smiling warmly so that Hiccup would feel slightly more comfortable. And Hiccup did. "Ye understand we weren't expectin' suitors until the summer, right?"

"Call me Hiccup. And, um, yeah, well… I was on a… Viking journey and decided to drop by. Didn't think I'd actually get an audience. Um… thank-you, and I hope you have a nice evening."

"Where do ye think yer goin'?" King Fergus laughed. "We need to ask ye questions! How ye want to rule the kingdom! How ye want to operate taxes! How ye-"

"Oh, right, sir. Ask away." And he did. And Hiccup answered horribly; he was sure of it. It seemed like an hour had gone by, and beginning to feel bad about leaving Toothless, Hiccup felt antsy. _You're here to find out what this place is and more about… about… that woman. What was her name? Imelda. That's right. Imelda Staunton. She's just a villager, though. Do the king and queen even know every single villager? Well, my dad and I know all the people in our tribe, but I'm sure we're smaller than this entire clan. Besides, I can always come back for information. I need to get out of this kingdom before I elope with this random girl._

"An' then I brought our clans together, an' I ordered attack against the evil Mor'du!" Hiccup realized, with a jolt, the king was telling a story. "An' the bear bit me hand clean off!"

"Wow. Yeah. Um, hey, it's getting pretty late, and my father will want me back home to help with the tribe-"

Suddenly, the three boys who'd presented the salty teacake came running into the room, chased by an old maid. "Where did ye hide me cookies?"

"Maudie, relax! The boys are just playin'!" King Fergus scooped up the triplets in his big arms, and Maudie went red with anger.

Queen Elinor shot her husband a look. "But Fergus an' I will most certainly give the boys a stern talkin' to. An' I'm so sorry me sons were pesterin' ye again. But I'm sure yer cookies must've been simply delicious."

Maudie, whoever she was, flushed with pride and headed back down the hall, muttering about "wee devils".

"Ah, Hiccup, these are me sons!" The king held his arms closer to Hiccup.

Queen Elinor smiled affectionately. "Harris, Hubert, and Hamish," she said, pointing to the one on the right, then the left, and then the middle.

"Ah… adorable." Hiccup wiped his nose with his sleeve. "So, anyways, I must be going-"

"Oh, of course!" Queen Elinor clapped her hands. "It was wonderful meetin' ye. But let me remind ye: it's much harder to impress me daughter than it is to impress us, so be ready to return in the summer with high efforts to win her heart!"

"Um, yeah, naturally she'd be picky about who she's going to spend the rest of her life with. Pretty big deal."

The queen smiled. "I really do like ye, Hiccup. An' I think Merida will like ye, too. It'll take a bit o' convincin', but-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Hiccup held out his hands. "Merida?"

"Me daughter!" King Fergus laughed. "Didn't we mention her name?"

"Ah, no, you left that part out." Hiccup began shaking.

"No matter," King Fergus said, waving his hand dismissively. "Shakespeare said: 'What's in a name?' All ye need to know is she's a strong, wild, an' free spirit!"

"Yes. So… this is Clan DunBroch," Hiccup said, realizing that he could just talk to Merida about any "Imelda Staunton" characters from her kingdom. Then again, he'd have to bring up how he accidentally discussed courting her with her parents… oh great; this was going to be a lovely story to tell back at Hogwarts. That and how Pitch murdered a woman to disguise another and had his mind set on killing Jack as well. Hiccup was about two hundred percent done at this point.

"Aye. Clan DunBroch, the leading clan o' Kingdom DunBroch." Queen Elinor smiled and shook Hiccup's hand gently. "It was a pleasure to meet ye."

"Yeah, I, um, well, it was great to meet you guys, too. Um, I, ah, yeah, I'll get going. See you in the summer!" Hiccup said, waving as he ran out of the castle with no intention to come back in the summer.

When he met Toothless outside the kingdom walls, Hiccup felt terrible. _You said you'd be quick._

Hiccup stared into the big yellow eyes, feeling terribly guilty. "I know, buddy, and I'm sorry. I was just discussing marrying my friend with her parents by accident. Long story. I'll tell you while we fly, but let's be quick." Adjusting his helmet, Hiccup braced himself for the ride back to the Forbidden Forest. Once Toothless had landed by his designated lake, the lake Jack had drowned in, Hiccup pulled out his wand and conjured fresh water using the _aguamenti_ spell so that both he and Toothless could have something to drink. "Well," Hiccup said, as he finished the rest of his story, "now I get to retell that entire thing to the other three. And Merida is going to be so uncomfortable and offended. And Jack will probably be laughing and smirking and teasing. And Rapunzel will just figure out some really obvious connection in my story that'll make me wonder how I didn't see it before."

Toothless looked at Hiccup with narrowed eyes. _C'mon, man, quit complaining. You just discovered some really good stuff back there. They'll all be proud of you for getting information. Merida won't be mad because she knows you're not like those men who closed-mindedly try to court her. Jack won't tease you because he's going to be worried about Pitch's plan to kill him. And if Rapunzel makes a connection that you didn't catch, Jack and Merida will feel the same as you for not making that connection._

"Thanks, buddy. Even though I know you're probably not saying that and I just make up dialogue because you can't talk like a human, I really appreciate what you're saying. It's really cool how you can understand human language, though. It's great to have someone to talk to." Hiccup hugged Toothless, letting the memory of Dumbledore's death earlier that day ensnare him again once more, but Hiccup couldn't cry. He was all dried out. "I'd better head back to the castle. The others are probably worried I've been out so long with the Dementors and all."

Toothless nodded, and as Hiccup walked away, Toothless trailed him. "What are you doing?" Hiccup laughed. Suddenly, he remembered how Dementors never attacked when Toothless was around because Toothless radiated some kind of power that warded off Dementors. "You're protecting me?" Toothless grunted and nosed Hiccup onward.

When Hiccup returned to Hogwarts, he'd missed dinner, so he headed to the kitchen, knowing he could rely on Dobby to whip something up. "Why, Mister Haddock sir! Dobby is delighted to see Mister Haddock sir in his kitchen! Oh, yes! What could Dobby do for Mister Haddock?"

"I accidentally missed dinner. Could you whip something up?"

"Dobby would me most honored to 'whip something up' for the great Mister Haddock! Takes Dobby's mind off of the great Professor Dumbledore's death! Dobby realizes Mister Haddock was not at dinner, so he must not have heard Professor Pitch's speech! Is that right, Mister Haddock sir?"

"What did Pitch say?" Hiccup said, chugging a glass of apple cider.

"Why, Professor Pitch is taking on the position of Headmaster of Hogwarts!"

Hiccup spit out his drink. "What did you just say?" Dobby repeated his exact statement, taking Hiccup literally. "But…" Hiccup slammed the cup down, infuriated. As if things couldn't get any worse. "Wait a minute. If Pitch is Headmaster, who is the new Slytherin Head of House? Who's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?

"Dobby heard this all from house elf gossip, Mister Haddock sir, but a new lady dressed in extravagant pink socks is the new Head of Slytherin House and the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! Professor Pitch personally hired her himself, Mister Haddock sir!"

"Kill me."

"Oh, Mister Haddock sir! Surely Mister Haddock doesn't mean so, as Dobby would be greatly conflicted in disobedience to his wonderful friend versus murder! Oh, no, Dobby could never kill Mister Haddock sir!"

"Dobby, I'm sorry; I was just kidding."

"Dobby is ever so relieved!"

"Wonderful." Dobby placed a turkey sandwich in front of Hiccup, who was very pleased with the simplicity of the meal. Taking a bite, Hiccup sighed with contentment. "Thanks, Dobby. I can always count on you."

"Oh, Mister Haddock sir, Dobby will always be there for Hiccup!"

"Is there anything else Pitch mentioned at dinner?"

"Professor Pitch told the school about Professor Dumbledore's death, Mister Haddock sir. It is a tragic thing for house elves, as they are in mourning over the death of the great Headmaster who supported House Elf Rights! The Ministry for Magic confirmed the untimely death was merely of old age. What else could it have been?"


	15. Stolen & Stone

Merida blushed as Hiccup, Rapunzel, and Jack looked at her expectantly. They were sitting in the snowy courtyard underneath the sun, which added the slightest warmth to the chilly weather. "No, I'm sorry. I've yet to meet an Imelda Staunton back home."

"DunBroch Kingdom must be really close to Hogwarts. Why does your family even bother with the train at King's Cross Station?" Jack mused.

"It's all part o' me Hogwarts experience," Merida said with a shrug. "But, for all me family knows, we are the only wizardin' family in DunBroch an' me family has to keep me attendance at a school o' witchcraft an' wizardry a secret. It's easy to tell the kingdom I'm away at a debutante finishin' school or somethin' in London. That's where the kingdom thinks I've been every year."

Hiccup chuckled. "My dad told everyone on Berk I was a wizard, and the Ministry had to come and preform the Confundus Charm on the whole island. But, more importantly, you have no idea who Imelda is?"

"No, Hiccup, I don't. An'… what do me parents think 'bout… ye know?"

"Oh, they loved me! I tried putting on a bad impression, you know, blundering Viking with no manners and all that stuff-"

"Well, at least ye tried." Merida tried a smile, not at all angry at Hiccup, but with her parents for insisting she'd be married next summer. She didn't need a man, and even if she did, he should be one she wants, the one she picks.

Rapunzel was finishing putting her hair in her braids that morning. "Well," she said, crossing over multiple strands absentmindedly, "let's concentrate on what we do know: the tall black cloaked woman is disguised as another woman now so that the girl that Pitch and the woman are trying to use won't recognize her?"

"And the woman is a Squib, someone from magical bloodline who can't do magic. Is that right?" Jack asked, receiving encouraging nods from the group. "And Pitch wants to kill me, somehow using this disguised lady who isn't going to use any magic. Because screw common sense."

"And the magical bracelet…" Rapunzel shook her head.

"The woman kept correcting Pitch, saying it wasn't a bracelet. It didn't work, and Pitch had to kill Professor Dumbledore himself." Hiccup shuddered, thinking how wrong that statement was on every level. "Rapunzel… Jack… did you see Professor Dumbledore wearing any jewelry? Anything new or different?"

Jack shook his head as Rapunzel looked into her lap. "No, man, we didn't," Jack said, brushing his hair back and looking at Rapunzel anxiously. "But… about Pitch wanting to kill me. I'm not exactly sure he can."

Rapunzel's head snapped up. "Jack, we're not sure about this."

"What else could it be?" Jack said, sounding exasperated. "My skin is pale white and ice cold. I'm never hungry. I'm never thirsty. I'm never tired. It's been two days and I haven't had anything to eat or drink, and I've never slept. Pitch can't kill me because I'm already dead."

Merida stared at Rapunzel, waiting for her logical friend to start arguing. But Rapunzel just closed her eyes and pursed her lips. "Jack, don't talk like that. Professor Dumbledore's already gone. I can't handle it if… I'd never be able to… you can't be dead, Jack, you just can't be! There's no way. You must be mistaken."

"You don't know what it feels like to be dead. But it feels different, I can tell you that. Everything is so different." Jack raised Rapunzel's hand to his chest. "And no heartbeat has to speak for something."

Rapunzel's hand flew from his chest down to his wrist and against the side of his neck. "I don't feel a pulse… but this is all wrong!"

"Rapunzel, it's ok," Merida said. "This is the wizardin' world. Inexplicable things are supposed to happen. The important thing is he's here with us."

Jack wouldn't stop staring into Rapunzel's eyes. "And I'm not leaving."

Bringing her knees up to her chest, Rapunzel allowed Jack to pull her in closer. Merida felt Hiccup tapping on her wrist as he tried to get her attention, jerking his head away from Jack and Rapunzel as if signaling they should give them some privacy. Merida followed Hiccup down the halls away from the two.

"That's got to be traumatic for her," Merida mumbled as they were out of earshot. "Rapunzel's had a thing for Jack ever since I could remember, an' she finally starts datin' him, an' bam! Everythin' starts goin'… the way it is right now."

Hiccup turned to Merida and nodded. "Yeah. I guess that would be pretty dreadful to go through. And, um, while they're dealing with that…" Hiccup inhaled sharply. "I was wondering how you were taking everything, specifically with your parents marrying you off. I saw your face back there; you weren't too happy with everything."

"I'm not upset."

"You've got a terrible poker face."

"I'm fine! Now would ye leave me alone?" Merida snapped, jabbing a finger at Hiccup's chest. He blinked, nodded, and started to back away while mumbling inaudible apologies. Merida kicked at the floor, cursing herself for being tactless. She was walking back to Gryffindor Tower when she passed the library. She'd promised Rapunzel she'd help her find her father, and Merida hadn't been thinking about that at all lately. Slightly out of guilt and in desperation for something to distract herself, Merida entered and began looking for records on that country Rapunzel mentioned… Corona.

The Muggle-born witch who looks like Rapunzel that might be her aunt that attended Hogwarts years and years ago married into pureblood royalty in Corona. Merida wracked her brain for any bonus information because the hunt was already extremely confusing. She just began looking through a shelf in the Hogwarts library dedicated to magical royal families and their past. The DunBroch book was old and used, as the spine was ripping away, and it made Merida feel slightly uncomfortable. However, the historical records of Corona were hastily wedged in the shelf next to it, and Merida began pulling the purple cover gently but firmly. It was stuck in there pretty good between the DunBroch records and a book entitled _Berk: the Muggle Island of Dragons_.

Merida froze. That book didn't belong with royal pureblood records. Hiccup's father led the tribe, sure, but it was his mother who was a witch. She grabbed the book on Berk, noticing it was very old yet seldom read, and flipped open to the introduction.

_Berk is an island of Muggle-folk inhabited by Vikings and invested with dragons. Cut off from other civilization, the Ministry for Magic doubts the protection of the wizarding world shall be tarnished by this culture. To the Ministry's information, not a drop of magic blood resides on this mysterious island, and the Ministry has been sending undercover investigators to discover exactly how these Muggle citizens delve on an island infested with the most dangerous magic._

Merida flipped through the pages wildly. It would be pretty interesting, but Hiccup had told her everything she needed to know about Berk, so it was old news. The only new thing was if Berk was an island of no magical blood, there was a high chance that Hiccup's mom was a Muggle-born witch. That would make it even stranger to find such a book on the shelf regarding pureblood royal families.

And it just so happened to be next to the books about Merida's family and Rapunzel's hypothetical relatives. All three books neatly stacked together, as if someone had already researched their families.

Grabbing the purple book on Corona's royalties, Merida brushed her red curls back frantically. If someone else stalked the past of Merida, Hiccup, and Rapunzel specifically, surely this book had to have something about Rapunzel's father.

The books were magical, so they had the ability to magically update themselves to modern information. Merida had to take a second glance as she read the last column on the last page.

_Thief Flynn Rider has stolen the crown of the Lost Princess and has disappeared from the outskirts of Corona after dashing into the forest. Muggle soldiers are on the search for his arrest. The King has issued involvement from the Ministry for Magic. Wizards and witches as well as Muggles are to contact the King of Corona directly for any information regarding either Rider or the tiara, which is encrusted with magical stones. Here are pictures below:_

Merida gasped. She thought the name "Flynn Rider" looked familiar, but when she saw the face, she remembered him. The brat a year above Jack in Slytherin House that was racist and manipulative. He'd been the first and only Slytherin Jack had confided to about his Muggle-born heritage, and that Rider always used it against him, mocking him for it. Merida had no idea why Jack put up with him, especially when Flynn would try hitting on Rapunzel, who had always been completely oblivious to the advances.

Snapping the book shut, Merida got permission to check the book out from Librarian Pince and dashed out of the library to find Jack. When she returned to the place she and Hiccup had left Rapunzel and Jack, they were gone. Desperate, Merida hurried off to Slytherin Dungeon, hoping she'd find him.

Arriving at the wall that hid the entrance to the Slytherin Dormitory, Merida began knocking desperately, knowing Jack was the only Slytherin staying over the holidays. "Jack! Jack! Are ye there?" Merida made a frustrated growling noise in the back of her throat. "It's 'bout yer friend, that Rider bloke!"

Suddenly, a hand reached from the dormitory and grabbed the front of her blue dress, yanking her in. Merida yelped, grabbing onto the wrist that seized her. That was most certainly not Jack's hand. The door slammed behind her, and the hand released her. "I told him not to tell anyone!" a frantic male voice mumbled furiously.

Merida raised her wand by impulse. "_Petrificus Totalus_!" The man froze up and tumbled to the ground, paralyzed. Slipping the wand back up her left sleeve conveniently, Merida grabbed him from underneath the arms and dragged him across the floor to a more lighted area. Turning the body over, Merida screamed. "Flynn Rider! What are ye doin' here? Oh, bloody hell, what am I supposed to do? How do I contact the Ministry? Ye… yer a thief! I'm… I'm turnin' ye in!"

Suddenly, the door to the dormitory opened, and Jack was leisurely strolling in, humming and smiling to himself. When he saw Merida and Flynn on the floor, he froze, a little confused. "What the hell is going on? How'd you even get in here, Merida? How did you know he was here?"

"Well, why don't ye answer some o' me questions first, Jack! Did ye know Rider's a thief? Did ye know he's stolen a princess crown from a wizardin' royalty an' the Ministry as well as Muggle officials are after him? Why are ye helpin' a bloody thief, Jack? Yer unbelievable!"

"I never said I was helping a thief! Ok, yeah, I am helping a thief, but I didn't know he stole from a magical family and the Ministry is after him! What the hell, man!"

"So stealin' from Muggles would o' made it ok?"

"No! I just…" Jack began cursing in frustration. "I didn't know the Ministry was after him! Why do they care about a witch's princess tiara, though?"

"It's supposed to be encrusted with magical gems o' some sort. I was lookin' through this history o' Corona book. Ye know, the queen who looks like Rapunzel."

"Oh, did you find anything new?"

"How 'bout this: Rider's a thief! The kingdom's number one thief!"

The Full Body-Bind curse was beginning to ware off, and Flynn twitched his legs. "First of all, I didn't know they were a magic family; I wouldn't have gotten myself into this if I did. Second of all, I didn't know the crown was magical or whatever you're saying. If I did, I wouldn't have stolen it, because who wants the Ministry after them?"

"That's yer reasonin'? Well, aren't ye a stupid lad?"

"Third of all, why were you looking through a book on Corona? Because the queen looks like Rapunzel? Because the queen's brunette, not blond."

"There's so much more than hair color to compare when two people look alike, Flynn," Jack drawled. He turned back to Merida. "So how'd you get here?"

"I saw Rider's wanted picture an' came lookin' for ye an' tried yer dorm. I knocked an' yelled through the door I had somethin' to tell ye 'bout Flynn, who got all scared an' pulled me in the dorm thinkin' ye told people he was stayin' here. Which ye didn't. Which ye should've. Where's the crown, Rider?"

Merida jumped as she made eye contact with Flynn, who was squinting his eyes and making a weird puckering face. "Please forgive me, my fiery-haired princess. I didn't ever mean to offend you. I hope you know my intentions are good, and I want nothing more than for us to just be able to put this aside and start over… together."

"Are ye ok? Ye look like yer about to puke."

"It's his smolder," Jack muttered. "He thinks it's about as powerful as the Imperius Curse on the chicks. It never works."

"C'mon, man!" Flynn shouted angrily.

"The crown, Rider!" Merida retorted.

"Oh, I don't have it. Little Jacky here's a thief, too."

"I hid it from him until I decided what to do about it, ok, Merida? I don't want to backstab my friend, but I don't condone stealing that crown. What am I supposed to do in this situation?"

"He took my satchel, too," Flynn whined.

"Call it want you want, bro, but it's a purse." Jack did a sassy snap and rolled his neck in slow-mo. "No shame, brother, no shame!"

The two began arguing, satchel versus purse. Finally, she had enough. "Shut it!" Merida shouted loudly, and surprisingly, it worked. "Where'd ye put the crown, Jack?"

"I hid it." Jack jerked his head toward Flynn. "And he can't know where."

Merida whipped out her wand, shouting, "_Accio crown_!" The brown leather satchel flew across the room into her hand. "Honestly, Rider, didn't ye think o' that?"

"I… broke my wand… Ok, look, I sat on it while riding a stolen palace horse to a tower in the middle of the woods where I climbed in to find a fireplace and a great supply of Floo Powder which I used to get into my old dormitory, ok?"

"Ye stole a horse, broke into somebody's tower, an' stole Floo Powder. Aren't ye a charmer?"

"Ha! I told you, Jack, ladies love a bad boy!"

"You'll have to forgive him, Merida. He's usually not that bad at picking up sarcasm. He's just very sexist at times and doesn't expect such cleverness from a girl. And then he wonders why the only girlfriends he got in school were demoralized, self-objectified-"

"That's great, Jack; thanks for givin' me a better understandin'." Merida reached into the bag and pulled out the tiara. "Magical stones, eh? Ye sure ye didn't know they were in there, Rider?"

"Ok, no more 'manipulative charmer' act. It's failing anyway. I seriously did not know that the royal family was of magic bloodline or that there was anything magical or special about that crown besides it belongs to a princess who was kidnapped."

"Ye have no heart, ye scoundrel!"

"Let's all just calm down and try to figure this out," Jack muttered, taking the crown in one hand so both he and Merida held it. "It's a white gold metal… looks pretty ordinary to me. And these diamonds and rubies are all identical. If there's anything special about the crown, it's that one awkward black gem that rests right here, at the bottom center. See?" Jack pointed at the gem, and Merida squinted so the light could reflect off it properly. It was so small; Merida could easily compare it to her thumbnail. They couldn't know for certain, but chances are, Jack was right. "Well, now what? How do we return it without getting Flynn in trouble?"

Merida glowered at Flynn. "Yer lucky Jack's vouchin' for ye, because I'd want to turn ye in straight to the Ministry." She threw the satchel mercilessly at the thief. "An' here's yer purse."

For once, he didn't argue it was a satchel. "Thank-you." Something in his voice changed. It was deeper, more honest and sincere. "But there's something else you might want to know. I only stole the crown because two guys hired me to help them with the job. I abandoned them while we were running from palace guards. I was thinking every man for himself. They got caught, but that's not the important thing. The thing is, they might've known something magical about the tiara… or they just wanted to commit a crazy crime. They seemed one hundred percent Muggle to me. But I can't help but feel the dark part of the wizarding world is after that crown. If it's actually that powerful, it's really important you guys keep that until you can personally hand it over to the king himself. Not even palace guards. Or even the Ministry."

"Are you leaving?" Jack stood up straighter, something reflecting in his eyes. Merida didn't want to admit Jack and Flynn were good friends, but in reality, Jack was both sad to see his friend go and worried about him.

"Yeah. I don't know where. I'll try to hide in plain sight in the Muggle community. Just be on the run, you know? An undocumented citizen of the world. I can find those jobs no one wants like cleaning stables and painting fences. Make enough money to eat at least. I'm used to sleeping on the roads. It's no big. The only difference between my past life and now is I'll be living a little cleaner. No more thievery. Staying with you for the past couple of days made me feel really guilty about all that, Jack. Thanks for putting me back on the right track."

"Wait, man." Jack ran up to the bedrooms and came down with his, originally Flynn's, Quidditch broomstick. "You might want to use this to get around."

Flynn smiled. "You're always there, aren't you?"

"Always."

The two shook hands and Flynn found a bit of Floo Powder on the shelf above the Slytherin fireplace. He stepped into the green flames and was gone. Jack stood with a princess tiara in one hand and his staff in the other, looking quite odd. "Jack, how are ye goin' to play Quidditch?"

"I'm quitting. Merida, I had fun playing Seeker. I did. But none of my teammates like me. It doesn't matter that I've won every match and caught every Snitch. I'm a Mudblood." Jack rolled up his right sleeve to reveal that scar. "And Slytherin House isn't going to except me. Besides, it's going to be hard enough explaining my new appearance to the entire school without getting up in front of the entire student body for Quidditch games. And then there's the matter that I only need my staff to fly. Plus, I could cheat by flying faster than any broom I've ever seen. As for letting my team down, they don't want me and there's countless other Slytherins who want to be on the Quidditch Team, especially the Seeker position. That's the pride and glory of the House, the one who ultimately wins the game. There's sure to be plenty of people who can fill my spot."

Merida tried a smile. "Well, now Gryffindor has a chance to win the House Cup, since yer not playin' for Slytherin anymore." Jack smiled back at her, and she continued on as they walked to the door to exit the dormitory. "An' when I was lookin' through the shelves o' the library for the royal wizardin' family o' Corona, I saw the strangest thing. I'm definitely jumpin' to conclusions here, but I think…"

* * *

Rapunzel listened intently to Merida and Jack's story, as Hiccup kept analyzing the crown, looking for anything else that may be special. They were all gathered in Ravenclaw Tower's Common Room, because Rapunzel was convinced that the airy room covered in windows would help them concentrate.

"Wait." Rapunzel said, tensing up. "What about the 'Lost Princess'?"

"They release lanterns up in the sky or something to hope she'll come home one day," Jack said, shrugging. "Why?"

"The floating lights!" Rapunzel said, jumping to her feet. "I know those lights! Every year, on the night of my birthday, I watch floating lights from my tower window. Those must be the lanterns they release in the distance! My tower must be right outside the kingdom of Corona in the forest! But it doesn't make sense." Rapunzel sat back down on the ground, pouting.

"What doesn't make sense?" Merida said, leaning forward.

"Well, I thought maybe Flynn may've accidentally found my tower, climbed it, and used my fireplace to travel to Hogwarts. But he said he found Floo Powder on the shelf above the fireplace, and Mother's a Muggle. We don't have Floo Powder."

"Maybe there's another tower in that forest," Jack mused.

"I know, but that seems weird. Another tower with no entrance but a window?"

"He never said there wasn't another entrance. Maybe it was just the easiest way for him to break in. He is a thief, as much as I hate to admit it. Climbing a tower and entering through a window would be second nature for him."

Hiccup was flipping through _Known Magical Stones of the Wizarding World_, a book Rapunzel had borrowed from the library, while absentmindedly rubbing the single black stone at the base of the tiara. "Hey, Rapunzel?"

"Yeah?"

"What if the magical stone isn't a _known_ magical stone? What if it's a stone of rumored existence, unconfirmed existence?" Hiccup gingerly passed the crown back and forth between his hands. "Something legendary or fabled."

Rapunzel frowned, knowing someone was eventually going to bring it up. "Well, of course, there's a great possibility the magical stone in the tiara is of unconfirmed existence, and that's why they never mentioned what it was in that report in the Corona book Merida was reading. Or it could've been because they didn't want to encourage people to steal the crown from the thief: not to return it, but to keep it for himself or herself. It's not unlike the Ministry to keep information classified. Still, even if it is a stone of unverified existence, I thought it might be safe to see if it matches up with any known magical stones first."

"I've looked through this book and none of it seems very likely," Hiccup said, tossing _Known Magical Stones of the Wizarding World_ to her. "You might have better luck, though. Still, do you have any idea what it could be if it's not a stone in that book?"

Rapunzel sighed and shook her head. "But I do have a book I left up in my room that might have some useful information. I'll go get it." When she got to the bedroom, she grabbed the book off her nightstand and cast a look at the necklace Mother had gotten her. She still hadn't put it on yet, feeling guilty for disobeying Mother and continuing to engage in dangerous activities. It was still in its box, sitting delicately on top of the paper. The beautiful amulet hung daintily on a silver chain, and the lavender pendant was lightly etched with spirals around the edges, as well as a triangular shape in the middle.

She blinked and rubbed her eyes, dropping the book on magic stones and picking up the package gently. How had she not noticed this before? "Rapunzel!" Merida's voice called from below. "Are ye ok up there?" Scrambling for the magic book, Rapunzel carried it and box containing the necklace downstairs.

"Look." Rapunzel passed the necklace box to Jack, sure he'd notice it first, as she began flipping through the pages of _Rumored Magical Stones and Their Properties_.

"This is that necklace from your mom from Christmas, isn't it? What about it?"

"Just see if you can find anything interesting.

"Well, it's- Hiccup! Merida! Look at this!" They all crowded around to gaze at the pendant. "It's the Deathly Hallows sign! The triangle for the Cloak, the circle for the Stone, and the vertical line for the Wand! But, Rapunzel, you're mom's a Muggle! How would she know?"

"I have no idea. Maybe she found the necklace, thought it looked pretty, and mailed it to me for Christmas. The end. But when I looked at it, thinking about what Hiccup said about the magical stone encrusted in the crown and possibly being a stone of unconfirmed existence, I saw it." Rapunzel pointed a shaky finger at the crown of the Lost Princess. "That small black stone… That's the Resurrection Stone. I used to not believe in all the Hallows stuff, but that's got to be it. It fits perfectly." Finally coming to the page she was searching for in _Rumored Magical Stones and Their Properties_, Rapunzel began reading aloud. "It says it all right here! 'The Resurrection Stone is, according to legend, a stone of stormy gray and no bigger than a thumbnail.' If you look very closely, that stone isn't pitch black. It's shined and polished, so it looks black, but it's the gray shade of the Resurrection Stone."

Hiccup turned the tiara over in his hands and licked his lips slightly. "How can we be sure?" He took the necklace box from Jack and handed it back to Rapunzel, who took the package gently. "And, regardless, how are we supposed to get the crown back to the royal family?"

Rapunzel shook her head, feeling her long braid flopping behind her. "I have no idea, but guys, when Flynn told you two"- Rapunzel gestured to Merida and Jack -"that someone else is probably after the magical stones or gems in the crown of the Lost Princess, he was right! Maybe those twins he allied with weren't ordinary Muggles."

"Flynn showed me the wanted poster for himself and the Stabbington Brothers, the twins he worked with. I searched for their picture in wizarding records of thieves and criminals and found nothing. They're Muggle." Jack ran his fingers through his white hair, and Rapunzel bit her lip. It was sad seeing Jack so distressed about his friend being a criminal. "He's definitely right about us protecting the crown and giving it to the king directly, personally making sure it goes in the right hands."

Merida, who'd been quiet for a long time, began speaking. Being quiet was not at all like her, and when she finally spoke up, it startled Rapunzel. "We could give it to me mum an' dad. They'd be able to give the crown to the other royal wizardin' family. But how would the king an' queen o' Corona know me parents weren't behind the thievery, or at least partnered with Rider?"

"How would the Corona royalty know we aren't partnered with Flynn?" Jack pointed out hopelessly, shrugging.

"Well, ye kind of were," Merida muttered.

"He's my friend! What was I supposed to do?"

"Guys!" Hiccup shouted. "This isn't the time."

Jack pouted and shot a short ray of ice from his staff at Merida's curls, who shrieked in annoyance as she brushed her hair out with her fingers. "What don't ye get about 'this isn't the time'?"

"Sorry." He didn't sound at all apologetic.

Rapunzel stared at the Hallows necklace, sure there must be more than coincidence for receiving such a gift from Mother. After all, even as a Muggle, Mother knew so much more about the wizarding world than other Muggle parents, considering how she understood wizard terminology and Owl Post among many other things. Maybe she knew what the Hallows meant, but how did she know Professor Dumbledore possessed the Elder Wand? How did she know a thief named Flynn Rider would accidentally steal the Resurrection Stone and bring it to Hogwarts? How did she know Professor Dumbledore had the Cloak of Invisibility hidden in his office?

"Guys," Rapunzel realized. "We have to get the Stone out of the castle. Pitch already has the Wand, and worst-case scenario, let's assume he's found the Cloak in Professor Dumbledore's office. The last thing he needs is a third Hallow to make him the 'Master of Death' according to legend. If we're right. And why wouldn't we be?"

"The Cloak!" Merida slapped her knee. "I didn't think about that! Inheritin' Professor Dumbledore's office an' all its possessions would include the Cloak!"

"And the prophecy orb," Jack muttered. "Now I'll never understand all this." He gestured to himself impassively. "But if we can do anything, it's get that Cloak off his hands. Let's raid the office!" he chanted sarcastically.

"Not yet," Merida said, contemplating something as she chewed her lower lip. "We should be worryin' 'bout the Stone for now. An' that necklace. Rapunzel, ye got to admit, that's-"

"No mere coincidence. I know." Rapunzel pulled the necklace from the box and put it on for the first time. She clasped it around her neck, and suddenly, she felt warm and fluttery inside, and her vision went like she was looking through butter. A sensation like Basilisk blood coursed in her veins. A ringing voice in her ears chanted: _Stone. Stone. Stone._ She had to get the Resurrection Stone. She needed to get that Hallow, at any cost. She snatched the tiara from Hiccup and began yanking at the Stone, prying it from its hold in the crown. She was hearing voices around her, but they were far away. She didn't even recognize them, like phantoms in her own subconscious creation.

Suddenly, Rapunzel's vision cleared, and she fell on her back hard against the floor, her head slamming with a sickening clunk. The crown clattered from her hand across the floor, and Jack was sitting on top of her, clutching the Hallow amulet and its broken silver chain, yanked from her neck. Jack grabbed her shoulders and sat her up, shaking her, screaming her name. "Snap out of it!"

Rapunzel gasped, trying to reach her arms up to Jack's shoulders, but it was like moving through jelly. Her tongue felt like it was drowning in cotton, and her head felt like it had slammed on the floor, which it had, but she'd fallen onto the back of her head. The pain was toward the front, as if fangs were protruding from her forehead. "I'm going to pass out," she squeaked, as her vision closed in. She felt Jack hugging her protectively, and as she closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing, she heard the vibrations of her three friends' voices echoing around the room.

"Rapunzel, please, can ye answer us?" Merida took Rapunzel's hand and squeezed it comfortingly. "Can ye even hear us?"

"I just zoned out," she muttered breathlessly, snuggling against Jack. "My head hurts." Her eyes loomed across the room and rested on the floor, where the crown laid forgotten and negligible. "I broke it. Now how are we going to return it?"

Hiccup got up and took a few steps across the floor to pick up the crown. Sure enough, when he returned, the crown hung in one hand and the Resurrection Stone clutched in the other. "It's not your fault, Rapunzel. That necklace has to be cursed or something, like, whoever puts it on has to go to every extent to try to seize the Resurrection Stone."

"Or any other Hallow," Merida muttered. "Rapunzel, are ye sure that gift's from yer mother?"

"It came with a handwritten note."

"Maybe someone else… I don't know… maybe someone handled the package before it got to ye an' took yer mother's present an' switched it out with that wretched thing." Merida pointed at the necklace, hanging from Jack's hand. He tossed it to the ground, breathing shallowly.

Rapunzel shook her head. "That would make sense, but why would they do it?"

"Because that's the 'bracelet'. Pitch had been talking about some bracelet, and the woman in the black cloak corrected him, saying it wasn't a bracelet. What if they were talking about some necklace? This could be the piece of jewelry that was apart of a failed plan to steal the Elder Wand from Professor Dumbledore." Hiccup hunched over and ran his fingers through his hair. "The necklace was sent to you so you could steal the Wand from Professor Dumbledore. It's cursed so that the wearer will stop at nothing to gain possession of the Deathly Hallows. Just a guess." Hiccup snorted, which made it pretty clear that he was certain he was right.

"But that doesn't make sense," Merida said. "Ye said that the woman in the cloak an' Pitch were talkin' 'bout givin' the magical cursed bracelet-slash-necklace specifically to the girl they wanted to use."

Rapunzel clasped her hands over her mouth and began tearing up. "Oh, no, I'm so stupid! How could I've not noticed before?" She looked at her friends fearfully, but they stared at her with blank expressions. How could they not understand what was going on?

"What do ye mean?" Merida said, tucking her own red curls behind her ear.

"The girl that the woman keeps promising Pitch can use…"

"Yeah. That's sick." Jack shook his head. "I want to drive my wand straight up his teeny-tiny poor excuse for a-"

"Jack!" Hiccup whacked Jack's arm. "There are ladies in here!"

"Sorry, Merida. Sorry, Rapunzel."

Merida was chuckling at Jack's unfinished sentence, but Rapunzel didn't understand the innuendo. She just decided to let it go. "Anyway… the girl Pitch wants to use is the same girl who was supposed to get the Wand from Professor Dumbledore… implying she would've killed him in the process, too."

"But for some reason, it got to ye. Now we have to figure out not only who the girl is, but why-"

"Merida, no! Don't you get it?" Rapunzel spun to look at Hiccup, and then into Jack's eyes, whose face was inches from hers as she cuddled in his arms. "None of you get it? I'm the girl. Pitch wants to use me."

Merida gasped, Hiccup dropped the Stone and crown, and Jack clutched Rapunzel tightly, looking straight into her eyes. "Rapunzel, you listen to me right now, ok? I'm not going to let that sick jerk lay a hand on you. Do you understand me? If he so much looks at you, I will slaughter him. I don't care if I have to drown a thousand times; I'm not letting him hurt you."

"I'll shove one o' me arrows up there instead of yer wand, Jack. I have more than one arrow, and ye wouldn't want to waste yer wand on it." Merida clenched her fists as she set her jaw. "Ye just watch me, Rapunzel. I'm goin' to kill him."

"I would feed Pitch's mangled corpse to Toothless, except I like my pet dragon." Hiccup shrugged, and Rapunzel couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks, guys, but I don't think that's what Pitch means by 'using' me. It's worse than that, guys."

"How can it be worse?" Jack demanded, exasperated.

"He knows. I don't know how he knows, but he knows. Sounds to me like that woman in the black cloak knew first and told him… but no matter how, they both know. About me. About my hair. This is everything Mother was trying to protect me from."


	16. Pitch, Professor, & Presents

Hiccup sighed, setting the tiara back down to adjust his Viking helmet on his head. "Rapunzel, I can't fix it. The Stone's not going to go back in the crown."

He felt terrible as Rapunzel hid her face in her hands. "We're doomed. If you can't fix it, and you can build prosthetic dragon wings and saddles, then I really destroyed it."

"But it's not your fault! That necklace was cursed. If I'd worn it, or if Jack or Merida had worn it, it would've had the same effect. Besides, the dragon wing was Muggle mechanics. The Resurrection Stone is magic. Whatever magic held it in place was probably counter-acted by the curse in that necklace. We just need to figure out what spells can repair it."

Rapunzel tucked her knees close to her chest. "We've been trying to figure that out for the entirety of holiday break. School starts again tomorrow. We're going to be swamped with NEWT preparations, figuring out Jack's prophecy, retrieving the Cloak of Invisibility, finding out how the lady in the black cloak knows my powers, getting the Elder Wand from Pitch if necessary, and uncovering this whole Dementor scheme. Then we have to fix this crown and keep the Resurrection Stone away from Pitch."

"Hey, if Pitch and the lady in the cloak can handle all of this, the four of us can."

"But they have knowledge! We're completely ignorant!"

"Well, I can keep trying-"

"Hiccup, no." Rapunzel rested her hand on Hiccup's knee and gazed into the fireplace of Hufflepuff Basement. "It's not going to work. I really messed this up. Yes, it wasn't my fault, but I'm responsible."

Storing the crown and the Resurrection Stone in his book bag, Hiccup ran his plan by Rapunzel one last time. "I'm hiding these in the saddlebags on the saddle I built for Toothless?"

"That'd be best." Rapunzel turned from the fire, and their green eyes met. "I just wish I could do one last useful thing before school starts again. Partially just to do something, but also to make up for the Stone."

Hiccup frowned, admiring Rapunzel's good heart but also feeling saddened at her distress. "Well, besides preparing for NEWTs, I don't think there's anything we can do. Get the Wand? Find Jack's prophecy record? Stalk that lady and Pitch?" Hiccup remembered Rapunzel's favorite Hallow was the Cloak of Invisibility and shifted uncomfortably. "We could get the Cloak of Invisibility from Pitch's office."

"It's actually Professor Dumbledore's office. I'll never accept Pitch for the Headmaster." Rapunzel's face hardened with defiance. "You know what? Let's go."

"Rapunzel!" Hiccup scampered after Rapunzel as she charged toward the exit. "You don't have to do this. It's dangerous. Like, really dangerous."

"Jack didn't have to save me on that lake. That was dangerous. You didn't have to train Toothless. That was dangerous. Merida didn't have to… do half the stuff the does on a regular basis that's crazy dangerous but she does them anyway. Sometimes, risks need to be taken. This has nothing to do with making up for the Stone. You guys put yourselves in danger constantly, and I need to-"

"You are in constant danger, Rapunzel! People are after your hair and you need to protect yourself!"

"Hey! Wouldn't it be easier to do so with the Cloak of Invisibility?"

Hiccup caught a youthful, adventurous gleam in Rapunzel's eyes and was powerless against her witty comeback. "Merida's going to kill us for not taking her on a dangerous mission."

"She's probably in bed by now anyway. And Jack's going to kill us for not taking him, but he's probably flying around Hogwarts Castle like he does every night. Besides, if Pitch wants to personally kill Jack…" Rapunzel shuddered, and her gaze went from excited to a crazed, cornered animal's. "Let's do this."

Hiccup followed her out of Hufflepuff Basement to "Pitch's" office, a little confused. "But what are we going to do? How are we going to find it?"

"Well, Pitch is probably in bed by now. It's two in the morning. The Headmaster's bedroom is connected to the Headmaster's office, so we need to be super quiet."

"And break in."

"Jack said the Cloak was in a hatbox in a mahogany bookshelf behind his desk."

"Rapunzel! First problem first: how do we get in?"

She froze in her tracks for half a second, but picked up her pace, shaking her head as her braid swung behind her. "Pitch is really arrogant. I'm not sure if he'd make it the password, though…"

"What?" Rapunzel looked at him, an unreadable devious expression passing across her face. "Oh, you're just going to wait until we get to the Headmaster's office and try the password _then_ without telling me _now _for dramatic flair. That's cool."

Rapunzel whacked him in the arm, frowning. "Hiccup, I just don't want to look stupid!"

"You'll look crazy shouting words at an unmoving gargoyle, anyway."

Whacking Hiccup's arm a final time in grudging agreement, Rapunzel continued through the halls in silence, looking straight ahead. Hiccup, on the other hand, kept staring back and forth from Rapunzel to his book bag, which he was carrying with him at all times for protection's sake. Looking at Rapunzel, he kept thinking how crazy this plan was, and how Jack and Merida were probably a lot braver than the two of them, not to mention more capable. Rapunzel's face was chalky white, and her freckles stood out more than usual. Hiccup was sure his face was the same.

When he glanced at his bag, he kept thinking about the Resurrection Stone. More specifically, his mother, and how tempted he was to use it. You only turn it over three times in your hands…

"Jackson Frost." Hiccup looked up. They were standing in front of the gargoyle entrance to Dumbledore's- no, Pitch's office. Rapunzel had randomly called out Jack's name, and Hiccup was about to ask why when the gargoyle moved aside to reveal a stone staircase. Hiccup turned, his mouth gaped open, to Rapunzel, who nodded. "That's the password. Well, we can't chicken out now."

Hiccup took Rapunzel's hand in sentiment no stronger than friendship, and she returned the comforting grasp. "It's ok," Hiccup muttered. "We can do this." They walked up the stairs in synchronized steps, and Hiccup volunteered to check to make sure the office was empty before they dared enter. "Coast's clear. Let's still be quiet."

Rapunzel pantomimed zipping her lips and the two entered cautiously. "The bookshelf," she muttered, pointing ahead. Rapunzel lightly jogged across the room, pulling a hatbox from the top shelf. Opening the lid, she pulled out a long, old-looking cloak. Slipping it over herself to be sure of its powers, she folded it over her arms.

"That was easy," Hiccup muttered as Rapunzel stored the hatbox. "Now what? Find the prophecy record?"

Rapunzel allowed herself a giggle, despite the situation. "Why not? Although Pitch has likely already broken the glass ball to hear the prophecy, and you can only do that once. Oh, and you can only retrieve the prophecy if you're mentioned in it, so Jack would have to get it."

"What if we are mentioned in the prophecy record? We could retrieve it! Worth a shot?" Hiccup said, raising his voice desperately.

"Yes, indeed it is," replied a voice that most certainly didn't come from Rapunzel. Hiccup watched her desperately fling the Cloak over her shoulders but didn't find the gesture cowardly. She really did need to protect herself. Hiccup glanced around the room, unsure of the voice. Listening to it again in his head, he knew it wasn't Pitch's. But no one was in the room with them. "Oh, I am behind this bookshelf," the voice whispered. "I had to have my portrait hung in secret, because Professor Pitch most certainly would not want me keeping an eye on him. He does not know my portrait hangs in my office."

Hiccup began connecting the dots. Old Hogwarts Headmasters and Headmistresses had their portraits hung on the walls of the office when they passed. Rapunzel flung the Cloak from her shoulders and turned to the bookshelf. Hiccup finally reached the answer, the person to whom the voice belonged, as Rapunzel gasped, "Professor Dumbledore?"

"Is that you, Rapunzel? I know Hiccup is in there, as he's awoken me from my slumber."

"I'm sorry, sir!" Hiccup winced.

"Quiet, now! Do not awake the other portraits or Professor Pitch."

"Sorry, sir," Hiccup whispered.

"Jack is not with you?" Dumbledore's voice sunk with slight disappointment.

"No, sir," Rapunzel said, shaking her head even though Dumbledore couldn't see her. "And neither is Merida. It's just us two. Hiccup and me."

"Ah." Dumbledore sounded quite surprised, and Hiccup didn't try to take offence. "Well, the prophecy record does mention you two and Merida, although it does focus on Jack. You cannot preform a summoning charm to retrieve it, because I am sure Professor Pitch has hidden it if he has not already heard it. However, I know the prophecy, and reviewing it years and years before my assassination, I have memorized it."

Hiccup ran over to Rapunzel and the two glanced at one another, unable to believe how easy this all was. "Well?" Hiccup said as Rapunzel bounced next to him. "What-?"

A door opened. Rapunzel flung the Cloak over the two of them as Pitch came into the office. "I heard whispers!" He shouted. "I know someone's in here!"

The other portraits began awakening, and Hiccup and Rapunzel began shuffling towards the door- not the one that let into the adjoining bedroom, but the door that let to the staircase so that they could make their escape. "Look," Rapunzel whispered, as Pitch shouted threats. "The portraits are pretending to still be asleep. They witnessed Professor Dumbledore's murder; they don't want anything to do with Pitch."

"Tell me what you saw!" Pitch was shouting to the nearest portrait, who pretended to just be awakening. The Headmistress wore her hair in curls and had too much lipstick.

"Oh, hello, Ishmael," the Headmistress yawned.

"You call me Professor Pitch!" Pitch snarled.

"Or I could call you cold-hearted, brutal, murdering…" Profanities slurred wildly.

"Inconceivable!" Pitch said, slamming a fist into the bookshelf. Suddenly, his head jerked up, and he checked the hatbox for the Cloak, only to be disappointed. He bellowed with rage, and then Hiccup and Rapunzel witnessed the strangest, yet most horrific thing ever. Pitch opened his arms, facing the ceiling. Darkness, lightning bolts of darkness, began spewing from his body. Hiccup's stomach twisted, and he felt a sensation similar to Dementors.

When the light came back on, Rapunzel was shivering next to Hiccup. "We need to get out of here, Hiccup!" Her voice was hidden by a loud clang as Pitch pushed the bookshelf over in rage. His back to the wall, he didn't see Dumbledore's portrait gaping in utter horror.

"Just be slow and careful," Hiccup whispered as the two began tiptoeing backwards. But Pitch wasn't stupid.

"I know you're probably still in here!" Pitch shouted in rage. "Hiding in that Cloak! If it didn't make you invincible to spells, I would curse you right now, you filthy Mudblood! Come out, you coward! Face me, Jackson Frost! Let's settle this prophecy right here, right now, shall we?"

Hiccup looked in Rapunzel's eyes, and as much as he wanted to ignore it, he understood her message loud and clear: stay in silence and invisibility to listen for Pitch to reveal more about the prophecy.

"Your friends, isn't it, Jackson? You need your friends with you! You need friends to fight your battles for you, isn't that correct? You aren't strong enough to handle me! You cannot handle me!" Pitch threw his head back, laughing. "Very well then. If you can only protect yourself four-on-one, with three human shields, by all means, amuse me! Don't fight me unless you are ready, boy. I will be waiting."

Pitch smiled vilely, his eyes circling the room, as the location of Hiccup and Rapunzel (or as Pitch thought, the location of Jack) was unbeknownst to him. Pitch appeared to be hoping that in gazing across the room, he might connect eyes with the wearer of the Cloak of Invisibility. Instead, he turned to the wall and locked eyes with the portrait of Dumbledore. "You will not conquer, Ishmael."

Hiccup expected Pitch to go berserk at the mention of his first name, but the melodious laugh was definitely more disconcerting. "Albus! Old friend, I knew you'd sneak your portrait in my office!"

"The things wrong with that sentence are innumerable."

Hiccup couldn't help but smile at Dumbledore's sassy side, because the old man sure had one. Rapunzel next to him was nodding in agreement, and Pitch snarled. "You think you're so clever, don't you? Well, once I destroy your picture… but before I do that, I must correct you on one thing. You are a school professor, are you not? You enjoy a good lesson? Mustn't I share one more, teensy-tiny, piece of information with you? You would fancy that. And if Frost here hasn't left the room, he might as well learn a little lesson too. For I am not Ishmael Pitch. Nor am I Professor Pitch. Though, Frost, it's still appropriate for you to address me so in school, regarding formalities. I've taken on a new title. A title symbolic for my power, desire, my very essence… I am Pitch Black." And with that, Pitch raised a fist in the air and aimed it at Dumbledore's portrait. At the last moment, Pitch flexed his fingers, almost wagging them in a mockery wizarding pose. It was as if black curlicues of air spiraled around Dumbledore's portrait… not air, darkness. Pure, sheer, utter darkness consumed the portrait of Dumbledore.

"The prophecy," Rapunzel breathed, shaking under the Cloak. Hiccup felt that, as the man, he needed to be the brave one, especially when Rapunzel was in such a state. But his mind flashed back to Astrid's lecture the day she taught the class to tie down dragons, the day Hiccup sat out: _Remember, this practice strengthens your fight-or-flight reflex, an important reflex to have. You need to be able to execute whatever action necessary to overcome a dragon, or any magical creature, for that matter, without having to think about it._

Hiccup didn't even have to think about it. He grabbed Rapunzel's hand and edged to the door. His flight reflex took over, and Hiccup couldn't help but admit feeling ashamed.

* * *

Jack jumped as one of his classmates noisily sat down in the seat beside him for Defense Against the Dark Arts class. "Hey, man! Didn't recognize you! What's up with the albino hair?" The boy elbowed Jack playfully.

Jack blushed, or at least felt like he was. His skin was probably actually going whiter. He then gave his rehearsed response that had been delivered to many other classmates. "I was practicing spells over winter break. Screwed something up. All the professors think it's just hysterical and want me to figure out how to fix it myself. But I'm lazy. And, hell, the silver hair almost goes with Slytherin colors, green and silver!" Jack's tie was hanging undone around his neck, so he began to knot it. Smiling, he hoped that the excuse would also work for the crystal blue eyes, which no one had noticed, or everyone simply neglected.

"You're just trying to make excuses for not being able to turn it back, huh, bro?"

Truth. The _Colovaria_ spell wouldn't work. "Whatever. Chicks dig it, though."

"Seriously."

"Yeah. I got a girlfriend."

"She's probably not even that hot."

"No, she's beautiful. The Ravenclaw with the long blond hair who's Head Girl."

"Rapunzel? _You_ got _Rapunzel_?" Jack's classmate ran his fingers through his own auburn buzz-cut and eyed Jack's full white locks. "Dang."

Finally, the doors at the back of the room swung open with a loud clang, and high heels began clipping sharply down the middle aisle. All the students turned around idly, each at least somewhat interested in the new professor. Jack sat at the front, as Pitch always wanted an eye on him, and couldn't see over the other students' craned necks.

"Hello, hello, hello!" a light voice sparkled throughout the room. "How are each and every one of you lovely seventh years doing today!" Jack heard the murmurs and snickers, but he couldn't see the teacher. "I would call you dear children, but you're not! All of you are at least seventeen years old, making you of age in the wizarding world!" Eventually, the woman's high heels clicked to the front of the room. Clasping her hands in front of her, Jack wondered if anyone who wasn't in the front row could see the woman. She was so short; Jack wouldn't be surprised if his own twelve-year-old little sister towered over the new professor. Then again, height ran in his family. Saying she was stout seemed a polite way to put it, and she was dressed head to toe in too much pink. She smiled like Mrs. Claus and had the tone of a preschool teacher and the voice of a preschooler combined. "It looks like you darlings might just be ready for learning some Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Jack found himself strongly disliking this woman.

"What the hell?" Jack muttered, agitated.

"I'm sorry, dearie, what was that you said? And I'm going to have to remind you to raise your hand in class, darling." Jack raised his hand. "Yes, sweetie?"

Dearie, darling, sweetie… not even five minutes in class and Jack was done, but he convinced himself she must be better than Pitch. "What's your name, Professor?"

"My, my! Thank-you for reminding me, cupcake! I'd nearly forgotten." She cleared her throat noisily. "_Hem-hem_! My name is Professor Umbridge, your new Slytherin Head of House and Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, appointed personally by your new Headmaster, Professor Pitch!"

"What happened to Professor Dumbledore?" a kid called from the back. The students knew Dumbledore had died, but no one was telling them how. They knew it was more than the rehearsed answer they got from every teacher, including this new one.

Umbridge made an annoying tsk-tsk sound. "Well, bless his soul, that fellow. Professor Dumbledore's great age got the best of him, and the poor dear passed on during your holiday break. The Minister for Magic personally investigated as soon as Professor Pitch alerted him. But the dear man passed on doing what he loved, and that's seeing you students get your education!" Umbridge clapped and her cheeks dimpled. "Let's not make it in vain and get straight away started in your textbooks!" Umbridge picked up a set of red-and-pink striped textbooks and began passing them out manually, which struck Jack as odd, as most professors just used magic to distribute class materials.

"We already-" Jack froze and reminded himself to raise his hand, a childlike practice he hadn't done since Muggle schooling as a young boy. Even then, his Muggle teachers always rapped his hands with a ruler nearly everyday because he always "spoke out of turn".

"Why yes, young sir? And what's your name?"

"Frost. Jack Frost."

"Jackson!" Umbridge squealed, pressing her hands together in delight. "And what is it I may do for you?"

Consciously moving his jaw to speak, Jack slowly voiced his observation in a questioning tone. "We already have textbooks." He noticed, as he began extracting his own copy from his book bag, several students hesitantly pulled their own leather books.

"Ah! Yes, well, if you dearies would just pass your old books to the front, I'd be happy to collect the old ones." The students obeyed robotically and warily. Jack raised his hand ever so slightly, his arms feeling like lead. They had been feeling so all day. Jack missed the comfort of his blue hoodie. Umbridge nodded to him to continue.

"Why?" Jack took the red-and-pink hardcover from her hands and felt oddly disconcerted, used to the soft, rough leathery feel of his old one. As the old textbooks were passed up, Umbridge finished her distribution of the new ones and locked the old textbooks in a cabinet.

"We don't need those silly things anymore! Why, these textbooks are so much newer, and have much more useful information."

"_Dark Arts Defense: Basics for Beginners_."

"And that's what you are, sweetie!"

"There's a note at the bottom that reads: 'Recommended for children ten and up'. We're seventeen. That's adulthood in the wizarding world."

A girl from the other side of the room had already flipped through her copy and backed Jack up. "There isn't anything in here about defensive spells."

"Raise your hand, sweetheart." Umbridge's words alone were patient enough, but her tone spoke otherwise.

The girl stubbornly yanked her arm into the air and repeated what she'd already said. Jack recognized the sleek black ponytail, hard-set jaw, and cockney accent to be the girl who'd taken Jack's position as Seeker for Slytherin when he resigned. Slytherin was racist _and_ sexist, so having a girl on the team had to mean she was pretty good. "It's all about theories. This is all basic material!"

"Hence the name."

"Professor Pitch would let us practice spells in class and duel one another."

"And he deeply regrets this and personally asked me to approach teaching another way. Not only that, but the Ministry agrees that children shouldn't-"

"We aren't children!" Jack stressed as he flung his arms across his desk, palms open. "We've been doing perfectly well in this class the way it was. Changing everything a semester before our NEWTs is going to screw us up."

"I'm sorry, Jackson, I didn't hear you, as I cannot hear students who speak out of turn, which is without raising their hands or during someone else's turn, especially the teacher's. However, if I did hear you, I would say that that's the exact reason this textbook takes you back to the very beginning to catch you cupcakes straight up with everything you need to know! Besides…" Umbridge walked up to Jack and pulled back the right sleeve of his school robes, revealing the Mudblood scar. After Rapunzel's attempt to heal it, the mark hadn't faded even a shade lighter. "How, dear Jackson, did you get this scar?"

"I got this scar because I failed to be able to defend myself."

"You got it in a classroom duel!" Umbridge sang, as if he'd never spoken.

"What if I failed to defend myself outside a classroom? I'd rather fail under adult supervision than in life-or-death circumstance."

"Raise your hand, Jackson Frost!" Umbridge shrieked, and Jack stopped talking. "Now." She folded her hands together. "Is there something else you'd like to discuss before I continue with my interrupted class?"

"It's not interrupting if you're asking me to talk or for my input, thereby granting me my 'turn to speak'."

"Mm-hmm. That'd be detention, six o'clock Friday. Don't be late."

The black-haired ponytail chick gasped. "That's absolutely preposterous!"

"And you may join us if you so desire, sweetie."

"I have a name, Professor. I'm-"

"Going to raise your hand from now on? Yes, sweetie, you are. I'll be sure to cover that in your detention with Mister Frost. Now, the first thing we are going to learn is how to recognize a dark wizard! Usually, they have a dark gleam in their eye."

Jack groaned.

* * *

Merida shook her head as she petted the sleek back scales of the Night Fury. "An' ye've told Jack everythin' too?"

"Yeah. Rapunzel volunteered to do it, but she froze up crying and I had to tell him. This has to be so hard on Rapunzel." Hiccup shook his head and adjusted his helmet. Merida understood why Hiccup didn't wear the bulky metal thing during school, but she appreciated it when he did wear it. It was part of his heritage, and Hiccup would curse the cumbersome accessory in front of his friends, but Merida knew he really liked wearing that Viking helmet that matched his father's. She knew why. "Not only is Pitch and some mysterious woman after her hair, but she was almost cursed into killing Professor Dumbledore. Luckily, she never put that necklace on. Anyways, she has to worry about herself and her new boyfriend, who's under death threats from Pitch, and Jack isn't worried because he says he's already died. She's the only one really stressing about NEWTs, which are a big deal; she's ensnared in a futile search for her father; and once the school year is over, she's going to move back in with her mother and be locked in that tower forever."

"An' I'm over here complainin' about gettin' married in the summer."

"Oh, Merida, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to belittle what you're going through because it's also a big deal-"

"Hiccup!" Merida interrupted, watching him safely store the Resurrection Stone and the crown of the Lost Princess in one of the hidden saddlebags on Toothless. "Yer not apologizin' for anythin' 'cause ye said nothin' wrong. Sure, betrothal's a big deal, but there's more to worry 'bout 'round here." And Merida was surprised to find herself meaning it. And, though she didn't say it out loud, she found her knees buckling as she looked into Hiccup's soulful eyes, as he went on and on about his friends and how much he cared about them. Merida always felt so rough around the edges, and Hiccup's personality was this complimentary softness that made her swoon.

Hiccup checked to make sure the crown and Stone were secure and well hidden. "So, um… you maybe want to go for a ride?"

"O' course!" Merida patted Toothless one last time. "I love yer dragon. I'm still… ok, I'll admit, heights still make me a wee bit nervous, but I trust ye. We might be cuttin' it close with curfew, an' it's a school night, but… I don't actually care."

Hiccup laughed and straddled Toothless, helping Merida up. This was the first time she'd ridden in her school robes, and feeling them flap behind her in the wind was amazing. "Merida, just out of curiosity, have you written your parents about what's going on here at Hogwarts?"

Merida blinked. "No. O' course not. I don't want me mum an' dad to worry 'bout me. Besides, I don't really think they'd believe me. They tell the Hallows story to me brothers before bedtime, an' they used to tell it to me as well. They think it's rubbish. Plus, an' evil professor is after us all? Parents aren't goin' to believe their children on that. They're just goin' to think I'm sufferin' from post-traumatic stress from Professor Dumbledore's passin'. Or they'd think I'm makin' it up to get out o' marriage. An' I guess that would I apply to yer parents, too, except for the marriage part. Same as yer reasonin'. Ye don't want yer father to worry an' ye don't think he'll believe ye."

"Well, yeah, that and the Owl Post issue. You know; my father and Jack's parents as Muggles can't understand Owl Post? For whatever funny reason, Rapunzel's Muggle mother can, but-"

"Yer father doesn't send ye stuff by Owl Post."

"Never has. Except for this… helmet."

"Hiccup, what if that's not really a gift from yer dad? What if yer present an' Jack's were tampered with, like Rapunzel's necklace?"

Hiccup shook his head. "But my father really does have a matching helmet, just like this."

"Maybe someone duplicated it an' cursed it!" But something withheld Merida from throwing it off his head towards the ground as they flew through the skies.

"It isn't doing anything to me! Rapunzel's necklace made her fall under a trance or something. It made her have an inexplicable urge to steal the Hallows. My helmet doesn't do anything! And neither does Jack's sweater."

"Maybe it was partially responsible for his transformation!"

"I really don't think so, Merida. The lake, the moon's power, and Rapunzel's hair contributed to that."

"Land Toothless, Hiccup." Toothless heard Merida's ominous plea and dove to the ground on his own accord. The two got off the dragon's back, and Merida knew better than to reach up and take the helmet from Hiccup. "Take it off, Hiccup. Please."

Hiccup took off the helmet, but clutched it to his chest. "This is from my father. I know it. It's a matching helmet from my mother's breastplate."

"Hiccup, ye-" Merida froze and started at the large helmet, understanding what Hiccup's explanation meant. "Ye an' yer father have a matchin' set."

"That's what the note said. In his handwriting."

"Rapunzel's note was in her mother's handwritin'. Doesn't mean much."

"Yeah, but her mother wrote a note _before_ she delivered the present. Rapunzel got the present separately, without a note. Someone swapped the presents alone. Why would they trifle with mine? Or Jack's?"

"I don't know! But prove that note was really from yer father! Prove that helmet really comes from yer mother an' yer father has a matchin' one!"

"Oh, I can." Hiccup nodded vigorously and tossed Merida the helmet, going through the Night Fury's saddlebag. He held out a flat, empty palm. Merida looked closer and saw what she thought was a shadow to be the Resurrection Stone. "I'll ask my mother. Does that sound fair?"

"But the Stone only brings back the _holder's_ loved ones. Even if I were to take it from ye, I would see someone else who's died, someone I knew that was me own family or friend."

"Then you'll just have to trust me. If my mother says that helmet is dangerous and the letter is bogus, why would I lie to you and keep it?"

Merida shrugged, realizing she was at stalemate. "Yer right. Go."

Hiccup breathed in swiftly, closed his eyes, and turned the stone over three times in his hand. He gasped as he looked at Merida, but then Merida realized he wasn't looking at her. Hiccup was looking at something in between them that Merida couldn't see… _someone_ in between them. "Mom?" Hiccup squeaked, falling to his knees. Merida half expected to see tears of love and longing streak down Hiccup's face, but instead, Hiccup stared with wonder and amazement at what Merida guessed to be his mother, reaching out a hand and recoiling.

"Do ye see her?" Merida said with a smile.

Hiccup nodded, not talking his eyes of his mother, whom Merida guessed was now kneeling beside Hiccup. "She's beautiful." He nodded once more and smiled up at Merida. "She says hi to you, and thank-you for being a great friend. She's always been here watching me, I could just never see her."

Merida's mouth gaped open in wonder. "Was yer mum a Hufflepuff too?" She cursed herself for the stupid question, but Hiccup nodded, smiling bigger and bigger.

"She was a Hufflepuff, just like me! She studied Night Furies, just like me!" He listened to her once more. "She likes Toothless and she's proud of me, Merida, she's proud of me!"

"O' course she is," Merida said, smiling compassionately. She tossed Hiccup the helmet, and he caught it in his free hand, careful not to let the Stone go. "I hate to interrupt yer reunion, but ye should ask her about this."

Hiccup didn't have to ask as he turned back in the direction of his mother, nodding and saying the occasional, "Yeah. Ok. Mm-hmm. That's right." Merida took this as a sign that Mrs. Haddock recognized the helmet and shook her head in disbelief. Hiccup's present was good. Rapunzel's was deadly. Now they had to figure out Jack's.

Everything confusing always came down to Jack.

Hiccup reached out his hand hesitantly before retreating, looking down to the ground. He muttered a farewell and dropped the Stone. "The Viking helmet is from my father. She's been watching both of us, and she says…" Hiccup wrung his hands and looked at Merida. "You're not going to believe me."

"The explanation is that crazy? Naturally."

"Professor Dumbledore visited my father and took the helmet himself, to make sure I got it. My father took advantage of the situation to write me a handwritten note Professor Dumbledore delivered as well."

Merida shook her head. "That prophecy has to mention ye an' Rapunzel along with Jack." She shuffled her feet self-consciously. "Do ye think-?"

"It has to mention you, too. But the way Rapunzel and I talked to Pitch, who thought we were Jack, Pitch already broke the prophecy record and destroyed Professor Dumbledore's portrait, so we have no access to the prophecy."

The idea seemed too simple, but Merida tried anyway. "Why don't we bring Dumbledore back? We have the Resurrection Stone. Can ye turn it over again an'…?" Merida shrugged helplessly. "But he didn't appear the first time ye used the Stone."

"The Stone's power is to bring back shades of loved ones from the dead. Don't get me wrong; I respect and admire Professor Dumbledore, more than anyone I've ever met, but I don't really love him… that'd be slightly creepy, wouldn't it?"

Merida allowed a smile in the grim observation. "Well, maybe it doesn't have to be that kind o' love. Maybe respect an' admiration count to bring the professor back. Ye were focusin' on yer mother when ye used the stone, so she came back. Maybe if ye concentrate really, really hard on Professor Dumbledore…"

Hiccup tossed her the stone, adjusting his Viking helmet. "Do you have any deaths in your family? Any close friends? Anyone else that might be brought back if you use the stone?" Merida understood; Dumbledore's death was closest to her.

Merida rotated the Resurrection Stone thrice in her hands. When she looked up, her knees buckled under the smiling, proud face of an elderly wizard. "I am proud of you four, but I cannot observe formalities. Trust the gifts of Hiccup and Jack. I cannot tell you how just yet, but I enchanted them to save you when needed most. Rapunzel's necklace is dangerous. Destroy it. Now, listen closely. The prophecy said…" Merida whipped out the charcoal pen and notebook Hiccup got her for Christmas and put them to great use.


	17. Prophecy, Proposition, & Probability

"An' before all that, Professor Dumbledore mentioned yer gift was dangerous, but we would need Hiccup's an' Jack's later." Shrugging, Merida handed the paper with the prophecy scrawled on it to Rapunzel. The four sat in a circle on the floor in the Room of Requirement, which today took the form of a great ballroom that echoed loudly when they spoke. Rapunzel wondered which was more confusing: the room or the prophecy?

_American Muggle-born of moonlit icy winds_

_Along with the bright healer, the beast-tamer, and the bold archer_

_Against darkness and fear, against lies and manipulation_

_Absolute victory shalt ensue_

_Best the enemy and winner shalt take all_

_Bring the flower home and keep the power_

_Beaten by the enemy, the loser will fall_

_Be without company, alone forever_

_Cutting her life will let her live_

_Cutting his foundation will give him flight_

_Cutting her wand will let her win_

_Cutting his ties will give him pride_

_Darkness, however, could win against coldness_

_Destroying no life, foundation, or wand_

_Definite victory ensue by breaking them_

_Doing so by manipulating_

_Each house will compete_

_Everyone will see defeat_

_Except only one side shall see victory_

_Eternal life to each leader to see his success or failure_

"I can't figure this out," Rapunzel said, tucking her wand behind her ear. "I can only take what we already know and apply it to the prophecy. Jack is the American Muggle-born, I'm the bright healer, Hiccup's the beast-tamer, and Merida's the bold archer. And Pitch and his Dementors are darkness, fear, lies, and manipulation. The lady in the black cloak is probably apart of that."

Merida had sat up a little straighter, looking pleased at the note that she'd be using her bow and arrow. "An' absolute means only one side will win. There's no middle ground, no compromise. An' that's good an' bad, right? The good side is there's a chance for us to beat Pitch with total success."

"The bad part is if we lose, we lose. No compensation. We're screwed." Hiccup unknotted his black-and-yellow tie and began playing with it as an outlet for anxiety, slipping it around his wrist and pulling it through his fingers. Rapunzel fought the urge to loosen hers, having never outgrown the importance of complying with school dress codes and guidelines.

"Thanks, Captain Sunshine." Jack leaned over Rapunzel's shoulder to read the next part of the prophecy. "The next line is a little redundant, unless when it says 'winner take all', it's not denoting a common phrase. It means taking all of something concrete."

"The flower and the power," Rapunzel said, nodding. "Which is most likely symbolism for something, because prophecies, for some reason, always have petty symbols to ensure there will be little random rhyming phrases."

"Oi!" Merida sat up. "In the teashop! Pitch was talkin' code 'bout a flower! What if it wasn't code?"

"Maybe it is _and_ isn't. Like, it doesn't have to be a literal flower with petals and leaves. It could just be something referring to a flower." Rapunzel had done her braid a little snugger than usual today, and the pulling at the back of her head was distracting her from thinking. "After all, 'flower' could be a pet name. Mother used to call me 'Flower' when I was a little girl, and she still slips sometimes and uses the name. 'Flower' could be anything, from a plant like a tree or even baking flour."

"So 'flower' probably stands for something, but it's not this huge, deep, symbolic meaning?" Hiccup tapped the floor with his wand.

"I guess that makes sense," Jack said with a nod. "The winner gets the 'flower' and power, and the next two lines say the loser loses everything. Sounds pretty tragic."

"It also talks about 'winner' and 'loser'. Singular," Rapunzel pointed out.

Merida nodded, and Rapunzel was glad to see she wasn't the only one noticing that line's importance. "We're goin' to stand by ye an' help ye every way we can, Jack, but ultimately, this comes down to ye an' Pitch. No pressure, though."

"Thanks." Jack clenched his staff tightly.

"And the next four lines look like they'd refer specifically to each of us," Hiccup muttered. "The ones starting with 'C'. Did anyone else notice how alphabetic-?"

"The bloodiest OCD prophecy I've seen," Merida said, shaking her red curls. "The first an' third lines refer to 'her'." Merida looked at Rapunzel. "One o' those must be yers an' the other mine. One o' us loses her life to live, an' the other loses her wand to win." Merida gave Rapunzel a pointed look, encouraging Rapunzel to prove her wrong.

"Both are confusing," Hiccup said, biting his lower lip. "But I'm stuck on losing your life to live."

"Well, the next line says losing foundation will help him fly," Rapunzel pointed out. "What if, like that line, losing life means losing base, home, or purpose? She'd still live, be alive and all that stuff, but she'd lose whatever her 'life' is. You know how Professor Dumbledore would say academics were his life? They weren't really what is life depended on, but revolved around."

"Or it could be the other way around, if you put it that way," Hiccup said, his voice surprisingly calm. "By losing life to live, you die, but your legacy and what you stand for lives on."

Merida opened her mouth to protest, but realized both sides were equally logical and frowned. "Well, the foundation to fly refers to a 'him', an' that could be either o' ye boys. Ye both can fly; Jack with yer staff and Hiccup with yer dragon, Toothless."

"Whatever it means, yeah, it could be either of us," Jack said, running his fingers through his white locks. "And the last line sounds like something our professors would say to us in some life-lesson lecture, stuff about how materialistic things should never hold us back, and finding ourselves and pride means leaving our old selves."

"According to the prophecy, our professors were right!" Hiccup sounded genuinely astonished, and Rapunzel tried not to laugh, as professors usually had a good idea what they were talking about- of course, with the exception of Pitch.

"The 'D' lines are all about how Pitch could win, though," Jack said. "As long he doesn't destroy the 'life', 'foundation', and 'wand'. I wonder if that wand is symbolic, like the life or foundation."

"It would make sense that destroyin' the Elder Wand would defeat Pitch, though," Merida said, looking slightly unhappy about being faced with the responsibility of destroying the Wand. "Maybe 'life' is the Resurrection Stone an'… Is 'foundation' the Cloak? It sounds like we'd be tryin' too hard to make it all fit, goin' that far."

"You could be right!" Rapunzel said, nodding eagerly, glancing at the next part of the prophecy. "The next line says Pitch would have to break 'them'. If he doesn't want to destroy the life, foundation, or wand, I think 'breaking them' means breaking us by manipulating us, according to the next line." _Mind_ games- Rapunzel's strong suit.

"So he'd twist us into hating ourselves and giving up?" Hiccup said, worry passing his face.

"That could be it, but somethin' tells me Pitch is very cunnin'," Merida scowled. "By 'breakin' us', I think it means breakin' us _apart_. It stresses in the beginnin' that we need to face Pitch _together_. We need to stick together an' trust each other no matter what happens, no matter what things look like… no matter what."

"Oh," Hiccup said, relaxing. "If that's what the prophecy implies by 'breaking', Pitch has nothing on us."

Merida smiled admiringly at Hiccup, and Rapunzel just had butterflies in her stomach in analyzing their chemistry. Rapunzel held back a giggle as Merida hid her blushing face by taking on the next part of the prophecy. "The next line is clear. Each o' us are from different houses. The followin' two lines say everyone will lose somethin', may it be minor or major, an' only one side will get the goods."

"Let's make that our side," Jack muttered, staring at the last line. "And 'eternal life to each leader to see his success or failure'." He looked up grimly at Rapunzel. "If I'm the 'leader', for lack of a better term, I can't die. End of story. But neither can Pitch. We're both going to live forever to view the outcome of… whatever this is."

"So that right there proves it," Rapunzel thought aloud, taking in a shaky breath.

"Proves what? Oh, right." Hiccup's eyes danced from Jack to Rapunzel to the floor. "Jack's…"

Merida put an arm around Rapunzel, who looked at Jack slightly worried. "You haven't eaten or drank anything? You haven't slept?" Rapunzel asked.

"I haven't slept. I can eat and drink, sure, but it doesn't fill me up, and skipping meals doesn't make me empty. Food's just a luxury for me."

"I'm still a little confused on all this. Jack, you're… I have no other way to explain this." Rapunzel swallowed. "You're immortal?"

Jack's sympathetic smile turned to a frown. "I'm immortal. And apparently Pitch is, too. We get to spend eternity together." Jack pumped his left fist in the air, and with a sarcastic face and tone that even challenged Hiccup's, Jack said, "Whoopee."

* * *

"Jack, stop." Rapunzel rested her hand on his shoulder, and Jack slumped over helplessly. "It's getting late. You can keep trying tomorrow."

"I have detention tomorrow, remember? Plus, Professor Dumbledore told us he wanted this necklace destroyed. The chain magically keeps connecting, no matter how many times we snap it. The actual amulet itself is unbreakable. Not even a Basilisk fang could destroy this thing." Jack shoved his wand into his coat pocket and threw the necklace to the ground. Thrusting his staff at the necklace, he channeled all his energy- angst, stress, confusion, despair- and a blinding blue light burst from the staff. Ice encaged the necklace, but melted within the next three seconds. "The harder it is to destroy, the more important it is we destroy it."

Rapunzel started to say something but was interrupted by her own yawn and rubbed her eyes. Finally, she was able to say: "Ok. Let's keep trying."

Jack frowned. "No; if you're that tired, you should go to bed."

"No, Jack, if you really want to destroy this necklace, we should do it."

"You should go back to Ravenclaw Tower and get some rest. I'll take this necklace with me down to Slytherin Dungeon and keep trying to destroy it down there."

"Jack, it's ok; we can do this together." Rapunzel smiled, but then her face grew serious. "I'm going to stick with you through all this. We're going to stay together. We'll always be there for each other."

Jack sighed and turned away, rubbing his neck in frustration. He just had to talk to her about this, but he felt terrible bringing up. But it had to be brought up eventually, better sooner than later. Pull the thorn out before the wound gets too deep. "Rapunzel, do you really think so?"

"Jack, I'll stick by you forever."

"Forever? Literally? Forever and ever? One hundred years from now, will you be here? Will we be together?" He stabbed the ground of the empty hallway with his staff, and the beautiful designs of frost spread everywhere. "I'm immortal. We both had doubts, but the prophecy said it. This is it. This is as old as I'm getting. I'm a freaking winter spirit of snow and ice that flies by conjuring winds. I'm a seventeen-year-old now. Ten years from now, I'll be a seventeen-year-old. One hundred years from now, I'll be-"

"Jack! Stop!" She screamed, stamping her bare foot on the floor. "What about me? I have magical hair that keeps people healthy and young forever. As long as I have this hair, I'm going to be healthy and young forever." Her voice began cracking, but she summoned the strength to keep talking. "Am I going to be there for you? Literally? Forever and ever? One hundred years from now, I will be here. We will be together. I'm immortal, too, and now that I've reached the adult age in the magic world, I think this is as old as I'm growing. I'm a walking, talking, living, and breathing source of immortality for whoever uses my hair, and since my hair belongs to me, yeah, I'm going to be this young ten years from now. One hundred years from now. Forever."

At first, Jack was afraid he'd angered her and scared her off. But looking deeper into those huge, ignorant, yet wise eyes, Jack saw something stronger, something that made him drop his staff and hold Rapunzel's face close to his. Her hands flew up and wrapped tightly around his wrists. Jack dared to whisper: "Never let go."

They stood like that in silence, engrossed in one another's company. Rapunzel's eyes fluttered shut, and although Jack didn't have a heartbeat, he could feel the familiar throbbing in his chest. Finally, Rapunzel said, "Um, not in the metaphorical sense but physical… shouldn't I let go so we can work on destroying the amulet?"

Jack chucked. "I think we've done all we could tonight destroying that amulet. But I don't want to leave it with you. I'll take it back to Slytherin Dungeon with me and go out flying like I do every night. I won't try to figure it out without you if you don't want me to."

Rapunzel shuffled her feet. "I won't be mad at you if you destroy the amulet by yourself; that's just silly. I just want to be able to help you as much as I can."

"I don't want you to work yourself to death."

"Haven't we established neither of us can do that?"

Finally kissing her, Jack slid his hands slowly down her back, pulling her tighter and tighter in. Rapunzel's palms rested on the nape of his neck, her fingers ruffling through the bottom of his hair. She did that adorable moan, and Jack reached down and scooped her up underneath the thighs to carry her to the Room of Requirement…

It had been a wonderful night. But that was last night. And as much as holding onto that memory took Jack's mind off of detention with Umbridge, he knew he had to face his punishment and get it over with. Swinging the doors to the Defense Against the Dark Arts room, Jack saw Umbridge waiting with that malicious smile. "Tut-tut, Mister Frost, me and your classmate have been waiting for you for quite a while now."

"Your classmate and I," the girl with the black ponytail muttered from her desk.

"Hush," Umbridge snapped, her smile not breaking. That made it ten times creepier. "Now, Mister Frost, if you would be so kind as to take your seat."

Jack blinked, his mouth ajar with disrespect. "Ok." He sat down noisily, his feet sprawled out across the floor and his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned onto the back to legs off the chair. His fists clenched, longing for the staff he left under his bed in his dormitory. That had become his staff's "hiding place". Horribly generic, but extremely effective. "What're we doing in detention today?"

"Well…" Umbridge reached for her porcelain cup of tea on her desk behind her and took a dainty sip, pinky up and everything, placing it on its matching saucer with a _clink_. "What did you fail to do in class?"

"Conform to a tyranny," black ponytail snapped. Jack still didn't know her name, and didn't have a feeling now would be the best time to make friendly conversation and find out. But Jack held great respect for her regardless.

"No. But what I'm implying, you failed to do right there!" Umbridge chortled.

"Is this seriously about the hand-raising?" Jack scoffed.

"I will not stand for such disrespect from you, Jackson Frost!"

"It's Jack."

"It's _jerk_!" Umbridge squeaked, stomping her foot on the floor. The same old sick smile spread across her face, as the pink munchkin of a teacher felt much contentment in her "clever" comeback.

"Oh, she showed you," ponytail said to Jack with a sarcastic nod. "Would you like some ice with that burn?"

Jack couldn't help but toss his head back and laugh. "I think I've got that covered, but thank-you." Ponytail gave him a smirk and mock solute before turning her head back to the front of the classroom and slumping disrespectfully in her chair.

Umbridge, though, looked like Jack had just insulted her mother. But she didn't say anything. She merely turned to ponytail and closed her eyes, smiling like a constipated orangutan. "Thank-you for showing respect and acknowledging my cleverness, sweetie. The affirmative was all I needed from you. You're free to go. However, I'm going to have to keep Mister Frost here so he learns his lesson."

Ponytail's eyes narrowed in confusion, but she didn't argue. She made eye contact with Jack on her way out, looking bewildered and worried. Jack gave a careless shrug.

"No, but seriously. Call me 'Jack'." Jack gave an endearing flirtatious smile and let his eyebrows hop a single time to give the look a slight boost of annoyance. Sure enough, Umbridge looked scandalized.

"Jackson, you're problem is far more than I can handle."

"Jack. We've established it's 'Jack'."

"I've had a discussion with your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher from the first part of the year, before he took on the post of Headmaster after the demise of dear Dumbledore."

"Professor Dumbledore."

"Your old teacher, Professor Pitch, who was also your old Head of House before me, said you had quite the disrespect problem and aroused trouble wherever you went, especially in this class. You seem to loathe defending against the Dark Arts"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts is my favorite class," Jack said, his fingernails digging into the desk. "It's the professor's-"

"And Professor Pitch could only conclude that if you despise defending against the Dark Arts, you must be for defending the Dark Arts."

"That's bull."

"So Professor Pitch has requested having a detention session specifically with you, darling." _No wonder Umbridge sent ponytail out so quickly_, Jack thought. "Hopefully attention from the Headmaster will straighten you out."

Jack slammed a fist against the desk. "Pitch is not the Headmaster! Professor Dumbledore is our Headmaster!" he bellowed, trying to contain his rage.

"My, my," a cold, dark voice said from the doorway to the classroom. "It looks like someone needs a grief counselor. Miss Dolores Umbridge, I can take it from here."

"Why, certainly, _Headmaster_." Jack's head was bent down as he scowled at his desk, so he didn't see Umbridge give him a nasty look with her remark, but he was petty sure it happened. Hearing the annoying clip-clop of her high heels waltz out of the room, Jack turned around only to watch the doors slam behind her. For the first time in his life, Jack Frost was glad to be alone with Pitch, who was now standing at the front of the classroom. Pitch looked purely confused when Jack gave his second-to-last favorite professor a big smile, and that confusion made Jack laugh hysterically.

"Quite frankly, Frost, I have no idea how to respond to this."

Jack was laughing so hard no sound was coming out, and he gripped his knees, carefully taking in a breath. "I apologize, sir."

That one left Pitch even more confused. "Ah…"

"You can move on to your lecture of how terrible of a student I am if you'd like."

"How accommodating."

"Don't mention it."

Pitch nodded, and cleared his throat. "So, Frost." Pitch closed his eyes and opened them again, and almost instantly, his face warped into that cold, hard shell of dislike and malevolence. "I'm not going to observe formalities. Give me my Cloak."

Jack remembered Hiccup mentioning that he and Rapunzel had stolen the Cloak, but Jack thought Hiccup was just being extremely sarcastic and played along. Hiccup and Rapunzel really stole that Cloak? Jack wasn't sure if he wanted to kiss Rapunzel or grab her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. Jack chastised himself for being overprotective and looked at Pitch straight in the eye. "I didn't steal anything."

"Oh!" Pitch's face lit up in mock enlightenment. "You didn't?"

"Nope. I didn't. But you spilled a lot of information to my friends who did. Hey," Jack threw up his hands as Pitch leaned over his desk, those hard yellow eyes wide with concern. "You gave them a lot of helpful information. So I'll give you some, too. That's only fair. But you told them you want to beat me up or something?"

"Jackson Frost, you are so incredibly stupid and foolish; I can actually feel my brain shrinking."

_No, I think it was just that small to begin with_. "Well, as a professor, it's your job to correct your students."

Pitch paced the floor in front of Jack, and Jack kept note to be careful. If Pitch wasn't attacking physically, he was attacking verbally and mentally. Jack remembered to keep his guard up against manipulation; he was aware Pitch wouldn't be acting so amicable if there wasn't something he could gain. Jack had a plan, of course: give Pitch useless information and act like it was extremely useful. That way, Pitch would not only be left as stupid as ever, but would also underestimate Jack. "Well, what are you confused about?"

Pitch wanted to get as much information from Jack as possible. Jack took special care to keep on subject. "Everything you said in that office. Just that."

"I'll explain; of course. If you tell me why your friends were up there." Jack remembered how Merida told the group that Pitch was gifted in Legilimency, which was, in theory, reading minds. Jack stared straight into Pitch's soulless eyes and strained to execute Occlumency, which was basically the protection from Legilimency. Pitch frowned, and Jack couldn't prevent the smile poking at the corners of his mouth.

"You'd have to ask them."

"Who. Are. _They_?"

"I don't want to get my friends in trouble."

Pitch stared into Jack eyes, even smiling. But Jack wasn't stupid. He'd undergone Legilimency before from Flynn (that's how Flynn found out Jack liked Rapunzel, too), and knew what the sensation was like. Pitch wasn't reading Jack's mind. He was pretending to so Jack would let down his guard, and _then_ Pitch would be able to read it.

Jack realized that, according to such newfound intellect, he was hanging out with Rapunzel too much. Well, not too much. He could never be around her for too long. It was better to say Rapunzel was definitely rubbing off on him.

"Sir? Is that all?"

Pitch sighed. "Why do you even bother, Jackson?"

"Excuse me?"

"You know what I said to your friends, whose anonymity shan't be shattered. However, it's just a prophecy."

"_Just_ a prophecy?"

"Jackson, listen closely to me." Jack stared into Pitch's eyes and was terrified to see honesty and sincerity. Still holding up his guard to manipulation, Jack cocked his head as Pitch whispered, "Prophecies do not control us. We control our prophecy. We can make it be so. We can make it be not."

"Is that a riddle? Because I suck at riddles."

"Jackson, we choose if our prophecy comes true."

"Meaning… we don't have to… whatever?"

"We don't have to fight, Jackson. We could be together. Then, none of the prophecy comes true. Neither of us will lose if there's never an altercation to lose in the first place."

What Pitch was saying made sickening sense. Jack partially agreed; he wasn't starting a fight unless he had to. But Jack knew what it would come down to. And Jack was prepared to fight if necessary. "Then you best influence me to choose wisely."

Then, Pitch did something utterly surprising. He extended one hand to Jack, as if… to shake hands. It was so business-like, so respectful, so frightening coming from Pitch. "I can most certainly testify I will."

Jack didn't take his eyes off Pitch as he slowly shook hands. Pitch's eyes lit up with hunger, and Jack realized he'd walked into an obvious trap; Pitch felt Jack's ice-cold skin and knew for sure Jack was the "American Muggle-born of moonlit icy winds". There was no need for Pitch to exercise Legilimency to figure that out.

* * *

Merida fired another arrow at the amulet and scowled as the razor sharp point bounced off. "See?" Jack said, making a face. "It _is_ hard to destroy."

"Yer right! Ye win!" Merida threw her bow down onto the floor of one of the private dueling rooms, where the four had decided to meet that Saturday. She retrieved her arrow from the necklace and stuffed it back into her quiver. "Any other ideas?"

Hiccup and Jack looked at Rapunzel, who seemed startled. "Guys! I don't have to come up with _everything_ around here!"

Merida chuckled despite herself. "Yer right. Hiccup? Jack?"

"Well, like I said, we could feed the necklace-"

"Jack, no!" Hiccup slapped Jack upside the head. "We are not feeding a dangerous, dark-magic, cursed necklace to my pet dragon!"

"Aren't dragons ultra-magic-resistant?"

"Yeah, well, I accidently cut off his tail using dark magic, so who knows what this necklace could do?" Hiccup gestured wildly to the necklace, which Rapunzel was now turning over in her hands.

Jack sat up straight. "Uh, Rapunzel, are you-?"

"It's fine, Jack. As long as I don't put on, I'm safe. That applies for all of us." Rapunzel still handed the necklace over. "Well? Is that all Pitch said to you?"

Merida leaned over to pick her arrow up and sat down on the floor with her friends as Jack snatched the necklace from Rapunzel's hands. "That's all. Oh, except when he shook my ice-cold-skinned hand, he probably figured out the 'American-Muggle born of moonlit icy winds' was me. He may've guessed before, but now there's no doubt."

"Jack, don't fall for it," Hiccup said. "Maybe Pitch really is being sincere about not wanting to fight, because he knows we stand a chance."

That made Merida sit up a bit. "That's reassurin'."

"But even if he is sincere," Rapunzel picked up, "Pitch knows that Jack giving up will mean he wins. Jack, if you don't fight with Pitch, the life, foundation, and wand will never be cut, so Pitch automatically wins. There's no neutral solution. You can't compromise, because that's just giving in. The only way to make good is to take action."

Merida felt ready to take Pitch on, ready to set things right and smack that slim gray face so hard… "Yer right, Rapunzel. Jack, don't fall for it."

"The prophecy's right," Jack muttered. "Totally manipulating me."

"Ye didn't fall for it?" Merida gasped.

"I knew it was bull," Jack sad sadly, tapping the ground absentmindedly with his staff. Bits of ice coated the floor around him. "I don't believe him, and I'm not falling for any of his tricks. I just want to believe it. I'm not scared to fight him; you all know I downright despise this idiot. I just don't really want to fight if it's not necessary."

Rapunzel and Hiccup were nodding and muttering in agreement, and Merida felt a little evil for being excited to go on war-mode and kick butt. Then again, that's a Gryffindor trait. Being compulsive. Another trait of Gryffindor was not identifying your weak spots. "Do ye think we should identify our weak spots? Know exactly how Pitch would try an' get to us so we can be ready an' have our guards up?"

Rapunzel nodded, as if this were a given. "I'm too addicted to knowledge. If he tries to offer me any information about my hair, my father, my… wait." She looked terrified. "What if Pitch is my father? That would explain how he knew about my hair!"

Merida was glad to see Jack make a face and shake his head with such certainty. "Nah. He wouldn't go so far to come up with some plot to use your hair. He'd just come back home to your mother and play some pity card and use your hair without you suspecting. If he were your dad, why would he waste his time and energy on all this?"

Blushing, Rapunzel muttered, "Now I feel stupid."

"Why? Because you guessed incorrectly?" Hiccup threw his hands in the air. "What is this? A mistake? Rapunzel, Ravenclaws aren't allowed to make mistakes!" Rapunzel giggled, and Hiccup continued. "Anyway, my weakness would be lack of purpose. I'm a little scared to fight Pitch; I'll be honest. But if my friends are going for it, I'm going to back them up. If Pitch can somehow convince me I'm alone… I'd give up."

"Well, yer not alone. Yer never alone, if I have any say in it!" Merida said toughly, sticking out her chin, in an attempt to hide how touched she was that Hiccup would do something so brave just for his friends. Hiccup smiled gratefully at her, and Merida felt the familiar sensation of her shoulders relaxing and her face softening. Hiccup just had this calming affect on her, and it felt good.

"Obviously my weakness is trying to solve everything the easy way," Jack said.

"An' mine is tryin' to solve everythin' the hard way an' bein' unable to contain me excitement to wring that sickly thin neck o' Pitch's-"

"Ok!" Rapunzel said, clapping her hands once to get everyone's attention. "And, biggest of all is our fears. I'm not saying we should go around in a circle saying what we're most afraid of, because chances are, we don't actually know what really terrifies us more than anything. But Pitch does with those Dementors on his side."

Jack shook his head. "The most terrifying thing is that Pitch knows something about ourselves we don't know, if you ask me."

"And even more terrifying is he knows something even more terrifying than that," Hiccup said with a shudder.

"Fantastic," Merida scoffed. But it was terrifying. Merida wasn't afraid of anything, and she was being completely honest with herself. Things just didn't scare her. Except maybe heights. The main reason she played Quidditch was to overcome that, anyways. But something she didn't know did scare her, and Pitch knew about it… "The fear o' the unknown. Whether it's our strongest fear or not, it's somethin' Pitch will use against us." Rapunzel nodded, looking confident in their knowledge of Pitch's powers.

Hiccup, on the other hand, groaned. "Why can't we just… eat food, ride dragons, and be happy? But no, Pitch has to take over the world with Dementors and fear, and threaten to kidnap and take advantage of one of our best friends and kill the other!" He gestured to Rapunzel and Jack. "Well, he picked a fight with the wrong Viking!" Hiccup held his breath and flexed mockingly.

Jack snorted and slugged one of Hiccup's thin arms. "Maybe you should focus on brain over brawn."

"Oh, no, Jack, you don't want to do that! Keeping…" Hiccup flexed both biceps. "Keeping this much raw Viking-ness contained? There will be consequences!"

"Like what?" Jack challenged, smiling in that way that Merida noticed made Rapunzel blush and giggle. Merida just wanted to smack Jack when he got all… _like that_. It was something perplexing; the one trait that differentiated Gryffindors from Slytherins was in the mischievous eyes of that smile. Merida couldn't help but narrow her eyes and silently scowl when he made that face.

Hiccup looked defeated. "Like… you know… I'd… I'll… Jack!" Hiccup crossed his arms and made a face Merida found similar to her own. "Haven't you heard of an empty threat?"

"Whatever, man." Jack raised his eyebrows once, and the "look" washed off his face. "Hey, Rapunzel, Hiccup, what did you two do with the Cloak of Invisibility?"

"I'm hiding it," Rapunzel said, raising her hand to get Jack's attention as if in class. "Since Hiccup took the Stone, I thought it was my turn to hide something. It's just burrowed in with my spare school robes- you know, hiding something in plain sight?"

"Brilliant!" Merida exclaimed, stretching her legs out in front of her and crossing her ankles. "We've got two o' the three Deathly Hallows! Now, we just need to get the Wand…" Merida remembered the prophecy and made a sour face. "An' break it."

"Maybe the prophecy wasn't referring to the Elder Wand." But Hiccup's voice went higher at the end, making it sound more like a question. Still, Merida felt a little better at Hiccup's attempt to comfort her.

"Then what do we do with the Hallows? Use them to defeat Pitch? But how?" Jack shook his head, and his swishing white locks looked like a blizzard. "That prophecy mentioned the winner getting the flower and power. Do you think the Hallows are the power it mentioned?"

"Oi! Jack, I think yer on to somethin'!" Merida was aware her curls were bouncing everywhere but ignored the tangled mess. "The winner gets the Hallows! But that would mean that the life, foundation, an' wand don't stand for the Resurrection Stone, Cloak of Invisibility, an' Elder Wand, respectively. The Elder Wand can't get destroyed because it's part of the power that goes to the winner." Merida knew she was making this connection out of sheer hopefulness.

"It could be very much like that. Or nothing like that at all." Rapunzel shrugged, making eye contact with the other three. "Pitch was definitely right about controlling prophecies. We can make them happen, and we can make them happen in different outcomes. They don't predict the future as much as vaguely set a map and let us choose from multiple paths. And this is why I didn't like Divination Class. Completely illogical."

"So ye think we choose which wand gets destroyed in the end?" Merida said.

Rapunzel shrugged. "I'm not sure if it works like that, but I think it's possible."


	18. Quest & Question

"Are ye sure ye want to do this, Hiccup?"

Hiccup looked down at Merida- he'd been doing that a lot since his recent growth spurt, in which he held great pride- and smiled weakly. "It's been a month. We've gotten nowhere with anything; the necklace is still in tact, Pitch has the Elder Wand, we can't fix the crown of the Lost Princess, and we don't know who Pitch's lady friend in the black cloak is, except for the fact she's disguised as a Muggle from your clan. I'm sure she's been noticed to be missing by now, and if I can get back to DunBroch, I can meet up with your parents and talk about marrying you- Merida, I know, it's awkward- and see if I can get anything about Imelda Staunton."

"Yer crazy, Hiccup."

"Well, you try going down there without getting caught! You're the freaking crown princess of the clan!"

"Yer right; yer right." Merida threw her hands up in mock surrender and laughed that loud, boisterous laugh that didn't give a care in the world. Hiccup loved that confident laugh. "Ye've got the entire weekend, but ye probably won't need it all. Jack, Rapunzel, an' I are ready to cover for ye. Me parents really like ye that much, eh? That they'd let ye visit unexpectedly?"

"I have no idea. Let's find out." Hiccup put his Viking helmet on his head and felt extremely awkward standing in the Viking clothes he wore at home on a late Friday afternoon at Hogwarts. Merida walked with him out of the castle and to the border of the Forbidden Forest. "I'd hate to have you walk back to the castle by yourself through the forest. You should probably head back now."

"Ok. Good luck, Hiccup. An'… I know this is awkward to bring up when yer 'bout to go talk to me parents 'bout courtin' me, but this Sunday's Valentine's Day."

Hiccup had already started walking into the Forbidden Forest and ran into a tree. His metal Viking helmet made an irritating ringing sound around his head. He cursed under his breath. "Uh, yeah. Uh-huh."

Merida laughed. "An' since Jack an' Rapunzel are goin' to be spendin' it together… well, I'd assume they'd be together… we'd both be alone, because I can't hang 'round Rapunzel an' ye can't hang around Jack; that'd be extremely awkward."

Hiccup knew Merida was leading him to be a gentlemen and ask the question, but he couldn't do it. He just opened his mouth and shut it over and over again, looking really stupid. Reaching behind his head to rub the back of his neck, Hiccup made sounds that resembled a drowning chipmunk.

Merida shook her head, looking amused. "If ye want to spend it together, I'm up for it. An' it doesn't have to be a big date thing. We should just hang out. Yer me friend, aren't ye? We just happen to be alone on February fourteenth. We're alone right now, an' it's not awkward at all. Why should a calendar date make a difference?"

The situation actually wasn't that awkward; Hiccup was just making it so. "Ah, um, like, yeah, sure, I'll… I'd… yeah. We can, um, go fly Toothless somewhere. Get away from those Hogsmeade couples and… food. Have a picnic, I mean. If you want to."

Receiving a nod and a smile, Hiccup felt like he could fly on his own, without Toothless. "Well, if yer able to take me out on Toothless, I'd love to go flyin'. Haven't been in a while. Don't be havin' all the fun yerself now! So, this Sunday? Ye can meet me outside me dormitory at three an' bring some food from the Hogwarts kitchen. Ye say ye have connections with the house elves that work there."

Hiccup's mouth still hung open unattractively. "Uh-huh." Merida looked at him skeptically, and Hiccup knew he probably didn't look enthusiastic. "I'm excited," Hiccup said, rushed. "It sounds like a lot of fun. I can't wait to spend the day with you."

Now _that_ made Merida smile. Hiccup felt so proud of himself. "I can't wait to spend the day with ye, too. See ye then. An' have fun… talkin' with me parents about marryin' me."

As Merida walked off, Hiccup bucked up the courage to be his old, sarcastic self. "So, what should the color scheme of our wedding be? Because I want Hufflepuff colors! And can the flowers be sunflowers? Because Hufflepuff yellow-"

Merida continued walking back to the castle, but she turned over her shoulder and laughed, calling back: "As long as the cake's me favorite flavor, I really don't care how ye organize our weddin'!"

"What's your favorite flavor?"

"If yer marryin' me, ye should know!"

Hiccup laughed and gave a final wave before trekking into the forest. And when he looked back, he was excited to see Merida doing the same, but quickly turned back around into the Forbidden Forest out of embarrassment. Hiccup had still failed to create a corporeal Patronus despite his relentless practicing, but something told Hiccup to give it a try. A huge silvery Night Fury erupted from his wand and ran into a tree. Good enough.

"Toothless!" Hiccup greeted upon entering the clearing with the familiar lake. "Toothless, ole buddy ole pal! How you doing?" Toothless looked ready to eat Hiccup. "Ok; sorry boy. Anyway, we're going to be going away for the weekend." Hiccup slung the sack off his shoulders, filled to the brim with fish for Toothless, and explained the plan. "It's creepy, but something tells me Fergus- um, I mean, King DunBroch- won't mind. Hopefully."

_Dude. You're crashing and intruding on someone's home._

"Yeah, but he thinks of me as his son-in-law."

_Just get on my back, dipstick._

"What did you just call me?"

_I didn't call you anything. I just give you mere facial expressions and you make up a dialogue in your head. And to think my life is in your hands when you get in that saddle and fly me around everywhere. You need counseling._

"Technically, your life is in my left foot because that operates the left stirrup that controls the left tail wing- fine! Fine! I'm getting on!" Hiccup attached the sack of fish to the saddle and got on Toothless. "When your ready, boy."

Soaring through the skies of Scotland, Hiccup found himself daydreaming in the clouds, and the already short flight to DunBroch seemed like a matter of seconds as Toothless gently landed in the hills outside the stony walls of the kingdom. "I wish I could bring you with me, boy." Hiccup looked into the yellow eyes of Toothless and was startled to realize they were the same color as Pitch's. But Toothless had a soul and goodness behind his gaze that made the eyes so much more different. Hiccup took the bag of fish and placed it in front of the Night Fury. "You're going to have to ration your own food supply. Got it, boy?"

Toothless nodded and nosed Hiccup along. Hiccup imagined Toothless saying: _The sooner you leave, the sooner you get back._

Hiccup walked up to the gates of the DunBroch kingdom and found one of the two guards he'd met that first night, who recognized him instantly. "Oi! Yer that fish stick o' a Vikin', aren't ye?"

"No, I just look bizarrely like him and even wear this goofy helmet. Yes, I'm him. How are you?"

"Are ye visitin' the king an' queen?"

_Or don't answer my question. Totally cool._ "Yeah. Could you-?"

"Right this way, me lad!"

Hiccup followed the guard through DunBroch kingdom, finding him very friendly. Then again, the guard was under the impression that Hiccup was his future king. Hiccup could get used to this treatment.

When they reached the castle gates, Merida's three little brothers, the identical triplets, were playing with their nursemaid, Maudie. Rather, they were running all around her, pulling on her skirts and just basically being extremely annoying. Hiccup found himself liking these boys. "Hey, guys!" Hiccup crouched to the ground to be their height. "Let's see now… you're Hamish- no, Hubert! Hubert, that's right. _You're_ Hamish, so _you_ must be Harris. Did I get that right?"

The triplets looked at one another and smiled, looking honored to be recognized individually. Maudie looked at Hiccup, baffled. "How did ye tell me queen's boy's apart?"

"Well this one's ears are just… and that one's nose… and he has this jaw… I don't know, Miss Maudie."

Maudie blinked. "Do I know ye?"

"I visited a month ago. I just remember the queen addressing you when I was talking to her and her husband."

"Oi! Yer that bloke!" Maudie chirped, her face splitting into a grin. She gestured to the guard. "Well? Take him on in! The king an' queen will be delighted by yer surprise visit, Sir Haddock! They haven't stopped talkin' 'bout ye!"

Hiccup feared that King Fergus and Queen Elinor wouldn't remember him or care, but this was even worse. The guard continued walking into the castle, and Hiccup had to jog to keep up. Realizing it might be hard to switch the conversation to the missing Muggle with the king and queen, Hiccup tried his luck on the guard. "So, what's being a guard like? Is it hard? Any big security issues you faced recently?"

The guard's face went like stone. "Me partner… ye remember him from last time? Good. Me partner's sister-in-law just disappeared. Vanished. Gone."

"What was her name?"

"Imelda. Imelda was just a wee sprite, if I've any say 'bout it. Always cheery, lookin' on the bright side o' everythin'."

Hiccup wanted to find a way to casually ask what Imelda looked like, but realized that asking what a missing person looked like wasn't an uncommon question. "What did Imelda look like?"

"She was a darlin'. Imelda was a short lass, that's why I think o' her as a wee sprite, an' she had a bob o' curly mousy hair. She had sort o' squinty brown eyes an' chubby cheeks, but me partner's brother said they made her all the more adorable. Poor bloke; he's takin' it so hard. It's odd, too. DunBroch doesn't have much crime or anythin' to worry 'bout, an' this is the first problem we've dealt with since Princess Merida put up a stink 'bout gettin' married before finishin' her education an' the clans almost got into a huge war with one another over it. An' before that… the biggest crimes we've dealt with in a while are people stealin' fruit an' bread from street venders here an' there. No missin' reports or street fights. Nothin' serious."

"The disappearance just came out of nowhere?"

"Nowhere."

"Well, tell your partner to tell his brother that I'm sorry about… everything."

"There's still hope. Imelda could still be out there, ye know. She's not dead. She's just missin', that's all."

Hiccup's heart plummeted straight to hell, and he wanted to curse Pitch more than ever. Picking a fight with someone strong because they "threaten your power" is stupid, but killing an innocent Muggle woman just so you can carry that out? Absolutely sick. "Well, Imelda sounds like a sweetheart."

"Ye'd be surprised how accurate ye are in sayin' that. Her voice was just this little high squeak. It could be a wee bit irritatin' at times, which I feel terrible for sayin', bless her soul, but me partner's brother-"

"-Said it made her all the more adorable," Hiccup finished, the grief weighing on his chest. "Since crime isn't that big in DunBroch, are the king and queen getting involved?"

"They sent out the guards, includin' me partner, to search, but I think ye could say they're mainly involved in protectin' the rest o' their subjects. They're doin' a great job keepin' a level head an' maintainin' calm throughout the clan."

"Of course."

"If ye really want to impress the queen, discuss security with her. Ye'd win the fair lady over in a heartbeat."

Hiccup nodded, hardly able to speak anymore. He reached up to adjust his black-and-yellow Hufflepuff tie like he did when he was agitated but realized he wasn't in school robes and adjusted the neckline of his shirt. He heard a voice from ahead and braced himself.

"Is that ye, Hiccup, me boy?" King Fergus came running over and enveloped Hiccup in a rib-crushing hug that lifted him off the floor. "What a surprise to see ye! What brings ye to DunBroch?"

Hiccup racked his brain to remember his excuse and adjusted his Viking helmet for show. "Ah, nothing much. I just had a weekend and decided to come on down and see if there are any other suitors I should meet. Get an eye on competition."

The king nodded with approval. "Yer very wise, Hiccup, but no one's takin' such initiative as ye to win Merida's hand. They're all waitin' until summer comes. I assume they're home, trainin' for the games."

"Games?"

"O' course! The contest chosen by me daughter herself. The winner gets to marry me daughter an' inherit the throne. The games can be anythin', from wrestlin' to joustin' to sword-fightin' to bakin', but I'm pretty sure me daughter isn't goin' to have her suitors bake her a Dundee Cake."

"Excuse me?"

"Her favorite flavor."

"Oh."

"Between ye an' me, Elinor an' I want ye to marry our daughter."

"Oh! Well, um, that's very flattering, but shouldn't you meet the other suitors before you make a decision?"

"Two summers ago, we almost married Merida off, but she convinced us to let her finish her education. Nonetheless, me daughter must be wedded sooner or later." Fergus frowned at his little girl growing up. "An' this summer, the same suitors will come back to compete for her heart. Except for ye, Hiccup. Yer the only suitor me wife an' I know 'bout that we haven't met from the games two years ago. We've met them all, an' we like ye the best."

"Well, the real thing is if Merida likes me-"

"Princess Merida, Hiccup, ye call me lassie Princess Merida."

"Of course, sir. I'm sorry."

Fergus threw his head back and laughed. His red curly beard bounced just like Merida's hair. "I'm only messin', me boy! Ye call yer wife whatever ye want!"

"If she's my wife. She might not like me-"

"Oh, she'll like ye, boy. She'll like ye for respectin' her like the way ye do, viewin' her as a person instead o' a prize!"

"I'm the skinniest, frailest boy in my Viking tribe."

"Me daughter likes people for who they are, not how they appear!"

Hiccup was glad to see he was doing a great job at turning Merida's parents against the option of her marrying him. "I-"

"Why, Hiccup!" Elinor elegantly glided into the room. "Maudie told me ye were here! Me own husband didn't come tell me, though." Elinor gave an angry, yet teasing, look towards Fergus.

"They say the king is in charge, me boy, but don't let that fool ye. It's the queen who's got the kingdom in her hands!" Fergus whispered loudly.

Elinor grabbed Hiccup's face and gave him a kiss on each cheek. "Fergus, did ye know that Sir Haddock already can tell the triplets apart?" Elinor tapped Hiccup's nose adoringly. "Tryin' to impress the queen, aren't ye?"

"Boy's doin' a great job, if ye ask me!" Fergus put an arm around his wife and held her close, smiling down at Hiccup, who felt like a failure. "He's goin' on an' on 'bout how Merida's happiness an' say in the matter is the most important to him, so I say we give him what he wants!"

Elinor smiled at her husband. "O' course! Hiccup, me boy, ye should come down an' meet our daughter at the beginnin' o' summertime, before the suitor's games. An', if she likes ye, we'll cancel the games an' ye won't have to compete. Because if ye want Merida happy, she should be able to choose the suitor she wants, an' I know she's goin' to want ye."

Yep, Merida's parents absolutely hated Hiccup. He was doing such a great job putting on a terrible impression. Hiccup took a deep breath and remembered why he was here: find out about Imelda Staunton. Which, he already did. Now he was here, what other kind of information could he get from a pureblood royalty without spilling too much? He decided arguing the wedding would get nowhere and moved on to something else. He went on a limb. "Are- are we alone?"

Elinor looked at Fergus quizzically, and Fergus scanned the room. "Yes, me boy," he said slowly. "Is somethin' wrong?"

"No, I just… I want to tell you…" Hiccup looked around the room and confirmed the vacancy before whispering: "I know you're witch and wizard. I'm a wizard, too."

Fergus, of course, blinked and played dumb. "I'm sorry; what are ye sayin'?"

"I'm a seventh year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I'm a Hufflepuff prefect, son of a Muggle-born Witch. My father's Muggle. Your daughter is a seventh year Gryffindor prefect. She's Quidditch Captain on her house team, playing Chaser. I've actually met her before; I just didn't know you were her parents. Do you believe me now?"

Fergus and Elinor loved Hiccup before, but now they worshipped him. "Does she like ye?" The king actually started bouncing up and down in excitement.

"As a Ravenclaw, I'm astonished ye'd escape school durin' the weekend, but as a mum, I'm very flattered ye'd go to such extent to win me daughter's heart. We'll keep yer little secret." Elinor pinched Hiccup's cheek affectionately.

"Thank-you, Queen Elinor. And, um, does she like me? As a friend, definitely. We talk a lot; we're actually pretty close. I told her when I got back to school after Christmas about meeting you guys, because she should know, and we both laughed it off. I… I don't know if she wants me." Hiccup wondered how far he could stretch the pity card without burying himself too deep before getting more information.

"Well, ye say ye want to know; ask her!" Fergus said with a smile.

"It's not that easy, darlin'," Elinor chuckled. "Ye were a Gryffindor two years above me, an' it took ye forever to buck up the courage to take me to Madam Puddifoot's Teashop." Elinor took Hiccup's hands and looked at him straight in the eye. "Merida's a very straightforward, honest girl. If ye want to win her heart, the best thing ye can do is ask her. Just ask her right to her face. Oh, be polite, o' course, but don't beat 'round the bush. An' if yer her friend, even if she only thinks o' ye as just her friend, she'd probably prefer ye over those boys she put such a stink up against marryin'."

Hiccup nodded, trying to manipulate the conversation so he could interrogate them nonchalantly about the craziness going on at Hogwarts. "That's very kind of you, Queen Elinor. I'll keep that in mind."

Elinor squeezed his hands. "An' if all goes well, ye can call me 'mum'."

Fergus clapped Hiccup's shoulder. "Well, this saves us the trouble o' explainin' our daughter's a witch to me future son-in-law."

Hiccup subtly guided the conversation to Hogwarts. "Why can't she just marry a wizard? Like how you, sir, married a witch from school; couldn't she do the same?"

"Well, a young lady, in order to inherit her throne, must marry a first-born son o' another clan, kingdom, or tribe." Elinor smiled, not noticing how sexist that was. "Fergus could marry whoever he wanted, because he was crown prince, not a crown princess. Do ye understand?"

Hiccup understood but didn't agree. He just nodded and continued directing the conversation. "Hogwarts was definitely the seven best years of my life. I think Merida would say the same. Even though it's school, it's fun and full of experiences, memories, and mysteries."

"Indeed," Fergus said with a chuckle. "Elinor an' I once used a secret tunnel to sneak out o' Hogwarts castle one night an'-"

"Fergus! Don't be a bad influence!" Elinor said, whacking her husband's arm playfully, hiding a blush.

"Oi! Right. Don't ye think about messin' with me daughter!"

"Oh! Of course, King Fergus. Of course. I wouldn't… I've never-"

"Step up yer game, lad!" Fergus barked.

"Fergus!" Elinor shrieked.

"Sorry, me love." Fergus gave Elinor a kiss on the cheek and all was well.

"Anyways…" Hiccup said, "That's a very lovely necklace you're wearing, Queen Elinor. Oh, wait; you're not wearing one. Must've been a trick of the light."

Elinor smiled. "I don't own too much jewelry, anyway, except for me crown." Elinor adjusted the tiara on her head and smiled down at Hiccup. "Ye never know what powers jewelry may carry."

"That would be a good thing… wouldn't it?" Hiccup cocked his head stupidly.

"Hiccup, yer mum was a Muggle-born an' yer father knows nothin' o' the wizardin' world?"

"Nothing more than I do. Why?"

"Explains how ye wouldn't know. There are all sorts o' fairytales an' spooky stories passed down by Muggle and magic-folk alike, except wizards have different tales. Ye haven't heard o' the Ring o' Balthazar, the Locket o' Melchior, or the Crown o' Casper, have ye?" Hiccup honestly denied any knowledge of these "fairytales". "Well, Hiccup, in each story, each man receives magical jewelry that's cursed an' governed by Dark Magic. An' everyone dies. Happily ever after." Fergus smiled, his eyes big with sarcasm. "The end."

"That's… that's all the stories teach you? Because in the Muggle world, folklore is used to not only warn us of obstacles but how to overcome them. How do you destroy cursed jewelry?" Hiccup said, trying not to look too desperate.

"Well, there aren't myths for that; real wizards have encountered cursed jewelry an' successfully destroyed it," Elinor said. "Wizards have used Basilisk fangs, the Sword o' Gryffindor, an' even cast a Patronus on the wearer o' the cursed jewelry, causin' the jewelry to lose all power an' then it can be destroyed by any means like Muggle jewelry. However, occasionally, Muggle jewelry is cursed by Dark Magic, too. An' the poor Muggles don't know a thing."

"What happens to them?"

"The Ministry sends someone to steal the jewelry. Then, Muggles come back an' they just assume they've lost another earrin' an' go buy a new pair. But usually dark wizards curse single socks because it's easiest, an' single socks randomly disappear. That leaves the poor Muggles bloody frustrated," Fergus said, laughing at this point.

"So, is there any easy way to destroy jewelry cursed by Dark Magic?"

"A Patronus. Ye can do a Patronus, can't ye? What form does it take?" Fergus's eyes lit up in anticipation.

Hiccup had suspicions before he'd cast his Patronus earlier that day, and he was glad those suspicions were confirmed. "Dragon." Sure enough, that answer seemed to impress Elinor and Fergus. "I'm a Care of Magical Creatures class nerd."

"Care of Magical Creatures is a tough class, Hiccup! Don't underestimate yerself!" Elinor smiled. In fact, she'd been smiling pretty much the entire conversation.

"But- excuse me for asking- does a Patronus always work?"

"No; it depends on the curse. If ye can destroy the jewelry by normal means after castin' a Patronus, then ye know it worked. The darker the magic, the better yer Patronus would work. Why?" Elinor's smile still didn't waver.

"I get sidetracked with learning new information. Just curious." Hiccup knew a Ravenclaw would be ready to accept that excuse, and sure enough, it worked.

"Well, Hiccup, dinner's about ready. Why don't ye stay with us for a meal?" Fergus smiled. "Maudie's makin' cakes!"

Hiccup shrugged. "Oh, why not?"

"On one condition." The light in Elinor's eyes changed from adoring to cunning. "Sunday's Valentine's Day, isn't it?"

Hiccup knew where this was going. "Yes, Queen Elinor, you're right. I've actually already made plans to hang out with your daughter as friends."

"Well, make it more than friends!" Fergus said with a chuckle.

"Ye will talk to her 'bout marryin' her, will ye, me boy?" Elinor's eyes changed once more, from cunning to pleading. "Ye will?"

Hiccup shuffled nervously, anxiety building. "I'll talk to her about it. I just have no idea how she'll respond. Best give her time to make up her mind about everything. I will let you know by Owl Post when we figure something out, whatever it is."

* * *

"What's me favorite cake?" Merida said over the rushing of Fire Falls.

"Dundee Cake." Hiccup felt the ledge of Crone's Tooth closing underneath him.

Merida sat straighter on the black-and-yellow checkered quilt and reached into the basket. Hiccup was glad he instructed Dobby to make the confectionary. "Well…"

"Merida, I apologize for making you feel so awkward about all this, I really do. I feel terrible for cornering you into this, and really embarrassed for being so creepy. But I promised your parents. And what makes this all worse is… I really do like you."

Merida smiled sheepishly. "So when ye took me flyin' on Toothless on Christmas, ye really were tryin' to impress me?" Toothless snorted behind her.

Hiccup nodded. "Don't feel like you owe me anything, though. I don't want to corner you into this and… this is all so sudden. That's such a corny phase, but…"

"We aren't even datin' an' yer askin' for me hand in marriage."

"And I know what you would love more than anything is for this to be very blunt, so I'm going to do that for you."

"Ye really do know me well, Hiccup."

Hiccup suddenly sat up, feeling guilty. "Should I've kept you standing while I knelt on the ground? Because we're discussing this over cake sitting side-by-side with our legs crisscross-applesauce like kindergartners."

"No, I appreciate ye talkin' with me instead o' to me 'bout all this, ye know? O' course, other girls would prefer the formality, but marriage isn't just fluttery feelin's an' cliché gestures. It's a serious commitment that deserves serious conversation."

"We're discussing this over cake."

"We're testin' our weddin' cake. Huge difference."

Hiccup smiled despite himself. "So you want to marry me?" he exclaimed excitedly. Hiccup suddenly felt guilty, remembering he promised Merida and himself not to corner her into anything. "What I mean to say is are you comfortable with all this?"

"Hiccup, ye said ye'd be blunt. Do ye really want to marry me?"

Hiccup blushed. Merida had asked him for the date. At least he should ask her to marry her. He thought it technically didn't matter and girls should be able to ask boys out and to propose and all that; Hiccup was really into gender equality. However, Merida wanted him to be honest. She wanted him to do the asking. She could be independent and like the old-fashioned way at the same time. Hiccup would oblige to that.

"Merida DunBroch, when I first met you my first year at Hogwarts, you scared me." Merida giggled. "You were so tough and sure of yourself. There was something in you that I couldn't identify, but it was something I was missing myself. A sense of confidence and self-assurance. An adventurous spirit with a free will. You always spoke your mind about everything, and you didn't let other people and their expectations hold you down. That made me really confused. I wondered how in the world someone could just be so positive, and why anyone like that would want to hang out with me. But you did. So I got to know you better throughout the years and came to admire you as a person for all those traits I mentioned earlier. Of course you're beautiful, and I personally find you the most stunning girl at Hogwarts, but it was who you were as a person that really made me want to know you better; that really won my respect and admiration. But only as a friend at first. Then, remember that day in Potions class our fifth year? You stood up for me after somebody messed up my potion?"

Merida blinked. "Ye remember that?"

"Every second of it. I really saw how true you were to your friends and how, if you have any say in the matter, no one would ever mess with anyone you cared about. And I knew you only cared about me as a friend, sure, but I just started thinking… maybe I liked you. As a friend, I always did, but maybe I liked you more. The way you lead others by helping and supporting them showed me a softer side I'd noticed but never really paid attention to before. You're strong and tough, but also gentle and caring; you're loyal and compassionate and put others before yourself. You were happiest when you lead others to their greatness, and you bring out the best in others. You bring out the best in me. You made me see myself in a different light, and I saw you could bring out something in me no one else could."

Merida was actually beginning to tear up a little bit, but she was smiling. She was smiling at him. Hiccup knew this was all going way too fast, but he also knew this how it was supposed to be: blunt and to the point. Well, he was dragging things out quite a bit, but eventually, he would get the point and be very straightforward and honest about it.

"I wanted to be around you. I enjoyed who I was around you. I wanted you to enjoy me, too. I took you out on Toothless first because I wanted to impress you. I've only been brave enough to work on this Pitch drama because I wanted to impress you. I could've gotten your parents to hate me if I really wanted, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, because I wanted to impress you. You bring out this entire new part of my life, and I've had six and a half years of school to make my mind up about you. You're the greatest person that's ever walked into my life, and if I had to choose one person to spend the rest of my life with, without hesitation, I'd want it to be you. I want to marry you, Merida. I care about you. I- I love you. I don't want to corner you into doing something you don't want to do, though. I want, more than anything in the world, for you to be happy. And I really think I can be there for you to make you happy better than any of the other suitors who probably just want the DunBroch kingdom. I don't want a kingdom. I want you. Merida DunBroch, I love you. Will you marry me?"

Hiccup found the longer he talked, the more comfortable he was with saying everything. And it was true. Every last bit of it. Six and a half years of feelings of both friendship and courtship had unraveled plainly for Merida, and it felt good to get it off his chest. Merida was silently crying, but all Hiccup saw was her smile. She leaned slowly over to Hiccup and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. Hiccup pulled his arms around and held her tightly. "Merida, take your time, but I'm going to need an answer."

Her frizzy little redhead nodded into his shoulder. "Y-yes. Yes. I'll… I'm marryin' ye. I'm gettin' married." Merida suddenly sat up, looking at Hiccup, confused. "An' I'm _happy_ 'bout gettin' married! I want to get married!" Merida nodded. "An' I'm doin' it because I want to, not because I'm forced to choose between a bunch o' blokes who don't even care for me! I'm marryin' someone who does!"

"And I'm not scared. I'm not!" Hiccup's face split into a smile. "I'm not scared about what the future holds, or leading a kingdom or a Viking tribe. I'm not scared to tell you how I feel, because… ok, I was scared at first; you don't need to give me that look."

"I'm yer future wife, ye know. I can give ye whatever look I want."

"Hey; how is this going to work? Leading Berk and DunBroch?"

"We'll write our parents 'bout evertythin' an' they'll sort it out. I'm sure there's been situations from marriages like this in the past."

Hiccup shrugged. He certainly felt ok with leaving the technicalities to the parents. Sure, one day he and Merida would take over and be responsible, but right now, they're schoolchildren. They can focus on academic life, which includes fighting a psycho teacher and his Dementor army along with your fiancée, your best friend who died and has control over snow and ice, and his girlfriend who has magical hair that glows and has special healing powers when she sang. That's what schools are like for everybody, right?

"Well… now what? We're betrothed. Should we talk about… naming our future children or something?"

Merida snorted. "I'm not sure I'm ready for parentin'. That can an' will wait."

"Really?" Hiccup stared off into the sunset. "That's probably the number one thing I look forward to in married life. Being a father. Having kids of my own."

"Havin' kids or makin' them?"

Hiccup blushed, feeling the heat of the February sunset burning him slowly. "Um, well, both are actually pretty good, I'd guess."

Merida was laughing hysterically, and Hiccup turned to look at Toothless, who was giving Hiccup a playful look. "That's easy for ye to say. Ye don't have to carry a Bludger in yer stomach for nine months!"

"This is making me uncomfortable," Hiccup snickered, blushing.

"Well," Merida contemplated, "that's married life for ye. It's not just frolickin' into an eternal sunset. It's goin' to be hard, an' it's goin' to require a lot o' work. Marryin' each other is goin' to bring out a whole new side in both o' us, an' it's goin' to be hard. We should be prepared to fight an' get at each other's throats constantly. We're goin' to have to work everyday. The real question is: is it worth it? Are ye really willin' to constantly put in effort an' work everyday for the rest o' yer life?"

Hiccup held Merida's face. "I love you. _You_ are worth it. Am I?"

"Ye are. An' I love ye, Hiccup." And she kissed him.


	19. Termination & Tower

Jack pulled the necklace from his pocket and dropped it on the floor of the empty corridor so he, Hiccup, Merida, and Rapunzel could all crowd around it. "Well," he said, clearing his throat. "Would the newly engaged couple like to do the honors?"

Hiccup blushed, paled, and returned to a poker face in the blink of an eye. Jack thought he looked gratified yet slightly embarrassed, but neither Rapunzel nor Merida seemed to notice as Merida quickly pulled out her cherry-wood wand. "Can I, Hiccup?"

"Go for it."

"_Expecto Patronum_!" The bear Patronus leapt from her wand, and the silvery glow was absorbed into the necklace.

"So, that was supposed to cleanse the amulet of any dark magic?" Rapunzel clarified. "And now we can destroy it like any Muggle jewelry?"

"Let's see," Hiccup said, fiddling with his wand in his left hand. "_Reducto_!" Suddenly, the necklace burst into countless pieces, reduced to nothing but a misting pile of fine ground ashes. As powerful as the curse seemed, none of the four had been able to get it to work while the necklace still held the curse.

Rapunzel literally collapsed to the floor in relief, hugging her knees to her chest. "It's gone." Jack knelt down next to her, rubbing her back gently, otherwise clueless what to do. "It's gone."

Jack looked up to Hiccup. "I have to admit; I didn't think the trip to DunBroch would accomplish much. But thank-you, Hiccup. This is…" Jack couldn't figure out the words to express himself and just nodded. "You did it. We owe you."

Hiccup shrugged, and Jack noted he wasn't good with taking things like compliments, apologies, or gratitude. Hiccup would always retaliate with something like: "I know your just saying that to be nice." "No, really, you're fine. It's my fault." Or, in this case, "I didn't actually do much. Or, at least, not anything special compared to what the rest of you have done."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Whatever, man. You're amazing. When am I going to be able to pound that through your hard little Viking helmet into that head of yours?"

Hiccup rocked back and forth on his feet and muttered something unintelligible, and Merida shook her head, chuckling. "Well, we've destroyed the necklace. Now what?" Merida lowered herself on the ground along with Jack and Rapunzel, and Hiccup sat beside her. "I think we should start with findin' out who that Imelda Staunton lass is. Rather, who the woman in the black cloak is disguised as," she answered herself. "Who do ye think she is?"

Jack shuddered. He felt stupid for not figuring this out earlier. "Umbridge. The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and Head of Slytherin House. It would only make sense. The woman in the cloak mentioned she was a Squib, and I haven't once seen Umbridge use any magic whatsoever in the class where mastering spells is most crucial. Besides, Umbridge also mentioned that Pitch specifically appointed her to the post."

Jack looked at Hiccup, who was comparing his conversation with the Muggle guard of DunBroch to Umbridge. "That makes sense. But that leads us to another question: why is 'Umbridge', which I doubt is her real name, disguised as the DunBroch Muggle? Pitch told the woman- let's just call her Umbridge; it's so much easier- it was necessary to disguise her so that her daughter didn't recognize her. Who's her daughter?"

"Well, that's what we should find out, huh?" Rapunzel said with a giggle.

"That's all we can do, ain't it?" Merida shrugged. "We're on a dead-end gettin' information from Pitch 'bout the Dementors an' Elder Wand, an' there're probably spells keepin' us from fixin' that crown Rider stole. If we can figure out who Umbridge's daughter is, we'll know who Umbridge is. An' we might be able to find out more 'bout Pitch's plan… with Rapunzel."

Jack felt that familiar explosion in the pit of his stomach and reminded himself to stay calm, but he could imagine his expression: widened eyes, pursed lips, flaring nostrils, and scrunched eyebrows. He was very protective of Rapunzel, and constantly worried about her. But Jack also knew he needed to be able to trust her, and acting like her parent would just be the hugest turn-off. However, when Rapunzel cuddled closer to him at Merida's words, Jack took advantage of the situation and put a protective arm around her shoulders, holding her tightly. "The most important thing right now is finding out who Umbridge is. Finding out who her daughter is might be easier, and it's sure to make clear who Pitch's 'side-kick' is."

"How do we find the daughter?" Hiccup pointed out the obvious.

"Serious stalking mode. We have to find anyone who has a Squib mother and-"

"That's going to be really hard, Jack," Rapunzel said slowly. "Even if we had all the access to all student records and their parentage, I'm pretty sure a fair amount of students have Squib parents. How could we narrow it down? Besides, how do we know Umbridge's daughter is a student? She could be a teacher. Hiccup, how old was the woman in black cloak?"

"Uh…"

"Ye've got a good point, Rapunzel," Merida admitted. "But what else can we do? Besides, yer Head Girl. Ye have to have some access to all the student records."

"It's probably in the library. You're right; I could get my hands on the materials. Librarian Pince would probably let you two search the records with me, as you're prefects." Rapunzel gestured to Hiccup and Merida, but turned to Jack sadly. "But I don't know if she'd… Librarian Pince is very… Jack, I don't know how to tell-"

"Oh, she hates me," Jack said, waving his hand dismissively. His friends all just laughed, and Jack congratulated himself for hiding the pains of being that one student the teachers unanimously hate. "I know. But it's whatever, you know? Why don't I let you guys go look through records right now?"

"Because it's half-past eleven and tomorrow's Monday, a school day," Rapunzel said. "You seriously just don't get tired anymore, do you?"

Jack, in fact, hadn't noticed the time for that reason. Besides, he was still on an adrenaline high from his date with Rapunzel. It felt good to leave all the trouble at Hogwarts behind them and stroll through Hogsmeade, laughing, talking, joking, and holding hands. And then there was kissing in snowy weather. Winter seemed to be lasting extra long this year, and Jack felt he might be responsible. "Yeah. Sorry. You guys should all head off to bed."

When Jack saw Hiccup awkwardly offering to walk Merida back to Gryffindor Tower, Jack chuckled and left the newly engaged couple to accompany Rapunzel back to Ravenclaw Tower. He waited until they'd left Hiccup and Merida behind a while before slipping his arm around her waist gently. "I had a lot of fun today. It was nice to leave everything at Hogwarts behind and just… be."

He half expected Rapunzel to ask, "Be what?" But to his great surprise and delight, she understood exactly what he meant. "It was, wasn't it?" Her own arm looped around Jack's waist, keeping him close. She opened her mouth to say something but changed her mind. Jack began discretely slowing his steps to lengthen the walk back to Ravenclaw Tower.

Jack watched her carefully and debated saying it for a while, or rather, how he should say it. "Rapunzel, I want you to be careful."

She stopped walking, which was good and bad. If they weren't moving, it was going to take a while to get back to Ravenclaw Tower. But whenever Rapunzel stopped, it meant she was about to say something serious. But the seriousness could be good or bad. The suspense made it horrible. She turned to him with contemplation etched into her face. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. You're in danger."

"_You're_ in danger. You're the powerful one in the prophecy!"

"Which means I need to protect you!" Jack pointed his finger sharply in her direction, speaking in a harsh whisper. He consciously tried to soften his tone. "It takes a lot to scare me, Rapunzel. But what terrifies me more than anything is losing you. And Pitch wants to use you."

"Jack, after Hogwarts, I'm going back to my tower, forever, with Mother. No one knows where my tower is, and I'm perfectly safe with her. The only time I'm in danger is when I'm at Hogwarts. And I feel terribly guilty for saying this, but I like risk! I love adventure! This is what I've been deprived of my entire life! I'll be safe, Jack, and I know you're there to protect me, but I can take care of myself. I'm not weak and defenseless if I don't have someone to protect me."

"Oh, Rapunzel, that's not what I'm saying. That's not what I'm saying at all." Jack reached out to hug her, and although she was tense at first, he felt her muscles relax as she returned the embrace. "I'm saying I care about you and I want you to be careful. I know I'm being overbearing, but I couldn't live with myself if…" Rapunzel pulled away from the hug, and Jack chuckled weakly. "I'd rather drown myself than see you in danger."

"Jack… I'm so sorry. I regret-"

"No, Rapunzel." Jack slightly bent over to put their faces close as he stared into her eyes. "Never be regretful. Regret is worthless. It does nothing. It looks into the past, an unchangeable part of our lives, and chains us down into depression. Only when we move forward and see the open doors ahead of us can we truly redeem-"

"Are you quoting that book I told you to read?"

Jack shushed Rapunzel, putting a finger to her lips. "You're ruining the moment."

She gently pulled his finger away and held his one hand in both of hers. "At least you memorized it. That's sweet."

"See? I do try."

"And that's all that matters." She got on tiptoe and gave him a quick kiss, which always left him smiling like an idiot, eyes closed and everything. Rapunzel then took his hand softly and began continuing the walk to her dormitory.

Jack felt like he should say something, but he couldn't bring himself to speak. There was something pure and captivating about the silence that kept him quiet. It illuminated their synchronized breathing and the echoes of their bare feet across the stone hallways of the school. Rapunzel never wore shoes, and ever since the lake incident, Jack found himself following in her footsteps… literally. He just didn't like shoes. Besides, the long school robes always covered his feet.

They reached Ravenclaw Tower, and Rapunzel listened to the riddle, answering flawlessly without even blinking. The door swung open, and Rapunzel turned to Jack for a last goodnight kiss. Naturally, he obliged. "Blondie," Jack called right before Rapunzel shut the door behind her. She turned back, and Jack felt stupid for grabbing her attention. Looking deeply into her glittering green eyes, Jack found his courage. "I love you."

Rapunzel's thin pale lips arched upward into that familiar tiny smile, and her gaze fluttered to the floor. Her freckles seemed to dance across her cheeks as she whispered, "I love you, too."

Jack smiled in return, his shoulders relaxing in relief. "I'll… I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow." And the door shut behind her. Jack held his breath to keep from screaming and pumped a fist stupidly into the air. He returned to Slytherin Dungeon only to grab his staff from his hiding place- under his seldom-used bed. Then, Jack went for a fly around the castle, feeling unstoppable.

The silver moon seemed to shine a little brighter that night, and Jack floated in midair for a little bit, staring into its reflective glow. Jack felt crazy for thinking this, but it was as if there was a man in the moon trying to communicate to him through the glow. The brightness, instead of illuminating the night, seemed to draw more attention to the actual moon itself, like the moon was especially desperate to communicate something. Jack chuckled, knowing he was crazy, and continued flying euphoric loop-de-loops.

* * *

"And thus, I can say with full confidence that the number seven is truly one of magical properties and the most important number in Numerological and Arithmantic studies." Rapunzel flashed a smile to her Runology professor, crossing her fingers that it would get her a better grade on her oral report on the number seven. "And, of course, Runology as well. Thank-you all for your time," she addressed the class, receiving robotic applause. Rapunzel then headed back to her seat.

"Thank-you, Miss Gothel. I don't think we have much time left in our class to listen to another report on seven, so we will continue our reports tomorrow. Class dismissed a few minutes early today," Professor Babbling said with a short, clipped voice. The students didn't argue and filed out of the classroom in silence and order, making the process rather quick.

Rapunzel began heading down to the Great Hall for dinner and, on the way, ran into a Ravenclaw prefect. "Hey! Rapunzel, I've been looking for you."

She shrugged and gave a smile. "Well, here I am! What do you need?"

"Actually, I'm just supposed to tell you Pitch wants you to meet him in his office quickly, before dinner." The look on Rapunzel's face must've been pretty obvious, because the prefect just sighed. "I know, right? Just when you think you're done with the school day-"

"Yeah, right, um…" Rapunzel tried to calm herself down to look at the sixth year Ravenclaw in the eye with the respect she deserved. "I'll head up there." The girl left, and Rapunzel scanned the Great Hall. Merida, Hiccup, and Jack must've all still been in class, because Rapunzel couldn't find any of their faces, and the Great Hall was filled with only a few dozen students. _Relax_, she told herself. _I can handle this myself. I know what I'm doing. Pitch can't do anything to me. I have my wand… it's the middle of the school year… nothing can happen. I'm fine_.

Naturally, Pitch had left the entrance to the Headmaster's office open so Rapunzel could enter easily. Putting a hand on her concealed wand, she gently swung open the door and was sure to leave it wide open. "Professor Pitch? You asked for me?"

Pitch was sitting at Professor Dumbledore's desk with his hands folded on the tabletop. Sitting across from Pitch at the opposite side of the desk was a woman with big, bushy ebony curls. "Flower!" She beamed.

"Mother?" Rapunzel gasped, as her mother's arms wrapped tightly around Rapunzel's thin body, practically snapping her ribs. "What are you doing here?"

"Why, taking you home, my darling!" Mother Gothel gripped Rapunzel's hands. "I've already arranged for it with your Headmaster."

"But… why all of a sudden?"

"Thinks have come up, my darling. You need to come home with me."

"As Headmaster," Pitch began speaking inconveniently, "I must say I find importance in finishing studies here at Hogwarts. But who am I to intrude on a family matter? I cannot keep you at the school if your mother is disapproving of such arrangements."

"I'm- I'm of wizarding age!" Rapunzel protested, feeling as though she were shrinking. "If I want to stay at school-"

"Darling, no matter how old you are, you will always be my Flower." Mother Gothel slipped her hand underneath Rapunzel's chin and smiled warmly. "Come dear. We're going home."

"I don't want to! Mother, I only have a matter of months left. I need to finish my schooling!" Rapunzel pulled away from her mother and began backing away.

"Come home, Rapunzel. Now. Don't make me the bad guy."

"Mother, I want to stay at Hogwarts."

"You cannot."

"Why?"

"Personal matters!" Mother Gothel whipped her head towards Pitch, but Rapunzel rolled her eyes. Pitch already knew everything about her hair. Which meant… maybe it would be safer for Rapunzel to go home. All she had to do was leave Hogwarts grounds and Apparate, with Mother Gothel holding onto her. Then the two could travel…

"Mother, how did you get here?" Rapunzel muttered, and Mother Gothel's smile melted. Things began falling into place. Her mother was a Muggle who could use Owl Post when no other Muggle could manage it. Flynn Rider escaped from palace guards through a tower's fireplace by finding Floo Powder on the shelf, a tower with a high window that looked toward a kingdom that had floating lights. "You're a Squib?"

Mother's face paled. "And?"

Rapunzel shook her head. There was nothing much after that. Except everything in her search for her father was now completely discredited. A Squib and a Muggle could have a witch for a daughter, so now Rapunzel was farther from finding her father than ever. "You got here by Floo Powder?"

"Squibs can use Floo Powder," Mother said slowly, trying to read something from Rapunzel's expression.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a Squib?"

Pitch spoke up. "Because being a Squib is- oh, do excuse me, madam- being a Squib is embarrassing."

Rapunzel shook her head. "But-" She froze. Mother's hand floated down to her black cloak, twitching the fabric restlessly.

Woman in the black cloak.

There was no way… Rapunzel looked up at Pitch, who was watching Mother Gothel in mockery for her being a Squib as well as in anticipation for… something. But how could it be? "Mother?"

Mother Gothel stared deep into Rapunzel's eyes, and an understanding passed. Something cracked. Something shattered. Quick as a viper, Mother Gothel seized her daughter's wrist. "We're going home. Now."

Pitch leaned back in his chair. "But you aren't going home just yet."

"Why, yes, of course," Mother Gothel muttered. "A deal's a deal."

"Mother!" Rapunzel screamed, trying to yank herself free. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to protect you darling. I needed to get you out of this school. It's dangerous! I had to tell our secret to your Headmaster so he would understand and let me take you home. Naturally, though, he demands to see if your powers really work. Otherwise, he'd send me to St. Mungo's for mental examination."

Rapunzel shook her head. "You're Professor Umbridge?" She bit her tongue. She'd spoken too much.

Sure enough, there was a heavy silence in the room. Pitch stood at his desk slowly and narrowed his eyes. "How much does she-?"

Rapunzel never tried wandless magic before, but she was a Ravenclaw. She could do it. Focusing on Pitch to the point where beads of sweat crowded her hairline, she screamed, "_Incarcerus_!" A rope materialized and bound Pitch head to toe, and Rapunzel yanked her arm free. "Mother, you're helping him? Do you understand what he's doing? Why are you with him? If you want me safe, keep me away from him!"

"Rapunzel, I've heard quite enough of your whining!" Mother Gothel snapped. "You don't understand what I'm doing, but trust me! It's to keep you with me!"

Pitch was already wrestling out of his bounds, and Rapunzel was shaking. "Enlighten me! Tell me what you're doing, Mother!"

Mother Gothel gently grabbed Rapunzel's arms in a way that convinced her she didn't need to fight. "Flower, people are after you. Somehow, a kingdom has heard of you and they are sending searches out for you. They could easily find you at Hogwarts."

"It's protected by magic!"

"The people who want you are no ordinary Muggles, my darling. They could easily come and get you. I must take you away to our tower."

"And why did you tell _him_ everything?"

"I told your last Headmaster, darling. Dumbledore was-"

"Professor Dumbledore," Rapunzel said instinctively. "Never ever just Dumbledore. Always use the proper title for-"

"He thought Hogwarts would keep you safe. However, when he passed on-"

"Pitch killed him, Mother!"

"Darling, darling! If you call one Professor Dumbledore, you must call the other Professor Pitch. And what makes you so sure Professor Pitch killed his predecessor?"

"He has Professor Dumbledore's old wand!" Rapunzel shrieked, pointing a now standing Pitch. He paced slowly towards the two, smiling.

"I inherited this wand, as I did the post, the office-"

"You can only inherit the Elder Wand by killing its previous master!"

Pitch cackled. "My, my, dear Miss Gothel, you're a Ravenclaw! You don't believe in such urban legends, now do you?"

"The Cloak of Invisibility. You thought Jack stole the Cloak. I did."

That shut Pitch right up. Rapunzel bit her tongue, trying to remind herself not to spill so much information. But maybe by doing so, Pitch and Mother Gothel would explain everything. After all, if Rapunzel's mother was involved, it couldn't be completely bad. She must've not understood who Pitch really was. Rapunzel needed to reveal that before it was too late.

"My dear Flower," Mother Gothel crooned, lifting Rapunzel's chin gently. "An Invisibility Cloak isn't the same-"

"Exactly. And that was the Cloak of Invisibility. Professor Pitch," Rapunzel forced herself to say politely, "I want you to answer me. Why did you kill Professor Dumbledore?"

"He planned to use your hair against you, my darling. That's why he was keeping you at Hogwarts." Pitch intertwined his fingers. "I was only trying to protect the students."

"That is the biggest load of bullsh-"

"Rapunzel!" Mother Gothel gasped. "What have I taught you? Language!" Mother Gothel took a deep breath. "And let us finish explaining. After Professor Pitch here took the post of Headmaster, I spoke to him about removing you. Upon facing the true, evil, power-hungry side of Dumbledore-"

"_Professor_ Dumbledore!"

"-He was agreeable in letting me have my daughter back." Mother Gothel enveloped Rapunzel in a hug. "However, he wanted to go further than that. He wanted to protect you once and for all and rid that royal family who pursuits you for your hair. However, he didn't want to take to extremities unless he could see for himself you have true power."

"But…" Rapunzel tried to keep her brain on track. "The Dementors!"

"The whole time they were to protect _you_," Pitch said with another cheap smile.

"But Mother didn't tell you about my hair until after Professor Dumbledore's death. The Dementors have been at the school since the beginning of this year."

"Ah. Your lovely, caring, protective mother had been talking to Albus for quite sometime, and I'd overheard a conversation by accident at the end of sixth year."

"You were trying to take me from Hogwarts even then?" Rapunzel said, spinning on her mother.

"For your protection! Because I love you!" Mother Gothel blinked, and her eyes grew watery. Rapunzel's guard went down. Of course she trusted her mother more than anything, but Pitch… Pitch really could be telling the truth. There was nothing incriminating against him. Then, it smacked Rapunzel in the face. How could she forget?

"Professor Pitch," Rapunzel said slowly, turning away from Mother Gothel. "What does this have to do with Jack's prophecy? When I stole the Cloak? You were talking about? Jack versus you… your new title is Pitch Black-"

"Ah. All that." Pitch waved his hand dismissively. "Prophecies aren't true unless you make them to be. Complicated matters, prophecies and inner eyes and predictions. Jackson Frost and I settled that. We are choosing not to 'fight', for lack of a better term."

"No, by not fighting, Jack's letting you win!" Rapunzel protested.

"Flower, this Jackson boy seems a bit unstable. Do you think it's alright to be around such a spiteful, violent, impulsive young man?"

Rapunzel gasped, and a line of the prophecy came back to her: _Bring the flower home and keep the power_. Rapunzel was the flower. "Mother, please listen to me; I don't think you understand-"

"Enlighten me." Mother Gothel folded her hands gently, and Rapunzel found her mouth flapping aimlessly. She was just going to have to draw things from thin air.

"Pitch Black, as you so wish to be titled, wants to use the Dementors' powers, and Dementors are terrible, Mother. As a Squib, you know about them. They're terrible."

"Dementors have been removed from Hogwarts grounds," Pitch said, and there was something scary in his voice that made it sound like it was a half-truth, but there was something behind the words. "Even then, Hogwarts isn't safe for you. Go home with your mother and I will fight off the people who are after you. But you must prove yourself. That you really do have powers."

Was it possible? This entire time, they were wrong about Pitch? It seemed so, and Rapunzel had no logic left except for the prophecy. It was clearly coming down to Pitch versus Jack, and Rapunzel had to pick a side. Worse, it was technically Pitch and her mother against Jack. Rapunzel had no choice but to go home with her mother and desperately work sense into her before her mother got too deep into Pitch's trap.

But proving her powers… "Mother, I don't want to prove myself."

"You're going home either way, darling." Mother Gothel loosened Rapunzel's bronze-and-blue Ravenclaw tie. "However, would you like Professor Pitch to protect you?"

"I don't trust him, Mother."

"Do you trust me, Flower?"

"Mother, I trust you, but you don't understand-"

"I actually understand a greater deal more than you except. Prove yourself, Rapunzel. You must. I didn't expect you to be so disagreeable."

"I- I will after I go pack and say goodbye to my friends."

"No!" Pitch said suddenly. "You must leave now, without a word."

And to think the last time she'd talked to Jack was earlier that morning, arguing about Quidditch fouls. Quidditch fouls. They'd actually gotten into a heated debate about who was right in how a certain foul would be called in a certain scenario. Rapunzel never felt more stupid. She actually began crying, but Pitch couldn't see that. She turned away and faced the wall. "Wouldn't this all be so much easier if I just cut it all? Cut all my hair off?" As soon as she said it, Rapunzel realized she couldn't. Once it was cut, that meant she was fully mortal, and she would continue to grow and grow and grow while Jack stayed an immortal seventeen-year-old. She had to keep her locks.

Luckily, Mother Gothel was adamantly against it, but most likely for different reasons. "No, Flower, never say that! You've been blessed with a gift! To discard it so lightly would be… insulting to others. You might as well let your enemies capture you, because cutting your hair wouldn't be for you, but at their expense."

"I'm not proving myself. You can keep me here in this office forever or just take me home. I don't need Pitch's protection." Rapunzel stomped her barefoot hard on the carpet floor, but the action was muffled. Actually, staying here would be good. Most likely, Jack would be looking for her at dinner, and seeing she wasn't there, and coming to find her after he heard Pitch summoned her to his office…

"Fine. Home." Mother Gothel took her daughter's hand, walking over to the fireplace to use the Floo Network to travel back to the tower.

"Wait!" Rapunzel had to draw this out as long as possible. Jack might come for her. He had to be coming. "Who will be Head Girl now that I'm gone?"

"One of the prefects can handle it," Pitch said off-handedly. "Is that all you wanted to say?"

"I… um, excuse me." Rapunzel cleared her throat and faked a coughing fit. Pitch offered her a cup of water from his desk, but Rapunzel had no idea if that was legit "water" and "accidently" spilled it over the carpet. It turned out to be normal water.

"Just sing your song for him, Flower!" Mother Gothel urged. "What holds you back from proving yourself?"

"Surely not… fear?" Pitch suggested. Rapunzel met his eyes. She had to hold a guard against such manipulation. Of course she was afraid, but he couldn't know that, and he couldn't use her. Rapunzel racked her brain for response.

"But, sir, I- sir, should I call you Pitch Black or Professor Pitch?"

"Pitch Black is a new title I'm trying to make known; it would be delightful if you would accommodate me in addressing me as such."

"Ok… Pitch Black… sir. I want to know…" _Think of something_, Rapunzel scolded herself. _And fast_. "Can I prove myself using my powers for my mother's benefit rather than yours? You can witness. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

Pitch blinked, trapped. "Certainly not."

Rapunzel handed some hair to Mother Gothel and sang her song slowly, drawing out the time and thinking of things to procrastinate her exit so Jack could come in. Sure, Rapunzel could just make a run for it, but she doubted that would work. She couldn't do any magic and risk having her mother hurt. Rapunzel knew Pitch could hold Mother Gothel hostage to make her do something. Going to the tower and talking sense into her mother was the only thing Rapunzel could do.

"So you really do possess such powers. Interesting," Pitch crooned. "Well, run along, Rapunzel. Go home with your mother. Be safe. I hope I can earn your trust."

"Honestly, Flower, if this charming young man is going to such extents to help you…" Mother Gothel shook her head in bewilderment. "Why wouldn't you let him use your hair? It would be only fair."

"Pitch Black said it himself. When I trust him, he can use my hair whenever he wants. Only when I trust him."

Pitch spread his hands accommodatingly. "Challenge accepted."

Rapunzel and her mother walked over to the fireplace, ready to travel back to the tower. "Mother, no, please no. I'll go with you; just let me say goodbye to my friends! I can't just leave without a goodbye!"

"I'll tell them your best wishes," Pitch said. And Mother Gothel dragged a crying Rapunzel through the green flames, where they appeared inside Rapunzel's tower.

"Welcome home, my sweetheart. Now you're safe and sound."

Rapunzel couldn't stop herself from crying. She wanted Merida and Hiccup. She wanted Jack. Oh, she wanted Jack. "I just wanted to say goodbye, Mother!"

Mother Gothel ignored her. "Pitch Black will be sending your materials from Ravenclaw Tower over. And I need you to hand over your wand." Rapunzel couldn't argue with that stern voice. She slowly pulled her wand from her robes, and Mother Gothel took it. She couldn't use it; she was a Squib. But Rapunzel could, and Mother would see Rapunzel didn't use it. "And I know you miss your friends," Mother Gothel started, finally acknowledging Rapunzel's agony. "But you cannot contact Hogwarts. The people after you might be able to trace the connection. Darling, look on the bright side! Your eighteenth birthday is a month away! Isn't that exciting?"

Rapunzel remembered how every night on her birthday, she watched the floating lights through her tower window. Then, she'd started attending Hogwarts. She hadn't seen the floating lights since her eleventh birthday. She'd missed the lights, but she'd still rather be at Hogwarts. "I want to go to my room, Mother. Good night."

"No dinner?" Mother Gothel called. Rapunzel shook her head and bounded up the stairs, her braid bouncing behind her. She opened the door to her bedroom and quickly shut it behind her. She leaned against the door with her eyes closed and slowly sunk from a standing position to sitting on the floor, burying her head in her knees and crying.

"I'm sorry; I didn't know anyone lived here. Are you ok?" Rapunzel's head snapped up. A male's voice spoke. In her bedroom. Rapunzel looked a little higher and saw him: Jack's friend, Flynn Rider, was sitting on her bed. He answered her unasked question. "I thought this tower was abandoned and I've been camping out here for the past two months. Do you know how much hazelnut soup you have in your kitchen?"

"Flynn, in the nicest way possible, please leave."

"I can't without using the Floo Network. My wand's broken. I can't Apparate."

Rapunzel sighed. "Well, it looks like we're both stuck here."

Flynn blinked in confusion. "Both of us?"

"I'll let you stay," Rapunzel said, coming up with an impossible idea. "But you need to help me get out of here. Back to Hogwarts."

"You can't Apparate to Hogwarts."

"I don't have my wand anyways. Besides, you're going to help me figure an alternative. And I get the bed."

Flynn slowly stood up, backing towards the walls. "Whatever…"

"You need somewhere to stay?" Rapunzel snapped. Flynn nodded. "I need someone with a devious criminal mind to help me get out of here. Do we have a deal?"

"Why do you need to leave your home? Why are you home during the school year? Can you explain this all to me?"

Rapunzel crawled onto her bed and threw a pillow and a blanket over to Flynn for a makeshift bed. "As a matter of fact, I can't."

"I guess you don't owe me an explanation, but I might better help you if I understood the extent of everything." Gazing into Flynn's eyes, Rapunzel saw honesty. "You really are helping me out by letting me stay here. I have nowhere else to go. I seriously want to help you as much as I can. But you need to tell me everything."

"I'm going to trust you. You can't repeat this to anyone. Promise?" He did. And Rapunzel told him everything.


	20. Escape, Envisage, & Eugene

Hiccup cringed. He'd said the wrong thing again. Hiccup slowly backed toward Merida as Jack let out a strangled battle cry and thrust his staff towards the nearest tree in the Forbidden Forest. Frost slithered up the tall, sturdy oak, causing the bark to glitter in the sunset. The few newly grown leaves dancing along the branches seemed to pirouette as they twirled to the forest floor. "Jack, I'm sorry… that came out wrong-"

"Just shut up!" Jack screamed, kicking the worn path in the forest. He bounded forward, and Hiccup glanced at Merida. She gave him a pointed glance, and the two followed their distraught friend. "You don't have to come."

"Yes, we do," Hiccup and Merida's voices rang in unison.

Jack turned around suddenly to face the two of them. His right hand clenched tighter around his staff, and Hiccup's heart cracked as he noticed Jack was barefoot. Just like Rapunzel always was. "No, you don't. It's my fault. I-"

"Ye don't seriously believe the bloody Quidditch argument had anythin' to do with Rapunzel leavin', do ye?" Merida snapped. "Obviously, Pitch was behind it all."

"Yes, and she's with Umbridge!" Jack screamed. Hiccup didn't know what to do. Jack needed to calm down and get himself together. But if Hiccup told Jack to calm down, it would have the opposite affect. "Why else would our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher mysteriously disappear at the same time? Umbridge has her! She's using her! That little…" Jack began letting loose with words he'd never say around his girlfriend.

While Jack ranted, Hiccup leaned over to Merida, whispering, "You have all of Rapunzel's belongings?"

"Everythin'. Most importantly, the Cloak o' Invisibility. I got to it before Pitch could. The only thing missin' is the school robes on her back an' her wand. I assume Umbridge took it."

"Her wand?"

"I've never seen her do it, but I'm certain Rapunzel can teach herself wandless magic. She's a Ravenclaw, ye know. She can take care of herself."

Jack had started bounding further into the forest. Merida and Hiccup followed. Finally, Jack stopped grumbling to himself and called back: "And you're sure Pitch isn't just hiding Rapunzel in Hogwarts somewhere?"

"If he were, Umbridge wouldn't have left," Hiccup reasoned, trying to think like Rapunzel. It was funny. Jack was Rapunzel's boyfriend, and Merida was Rapunzel's best friend. But personality wise, Hiccup was more like Rapunzel than either of them. They'd been relying on him to be the wise one, and Hiccup was learning that a lot of it was going on hunches and pretending you were certain when you weren't. Rapunzel probably had this down so much better than him.

A twig snagged on Merida's blue dress, and she cursed, unraveling the tangled mess. Hiccup was glad to be back in his normal clothes as well, unable to stand the long, flowing school robes that tripped him in the same way a dress would. But Merida was a trooper. She didn't complain, or protest that they all walk slower. She just sucked it up and treaded on. "We're almost there," Merida muttered mainly to herself.

They reached the lake Toothless had learned to call home. Toothless looked at the lot of them in confusion. "C'mon, boy," Hiccup called. "We're leaving school. And we're not coming back until we find our friend. Rapunzel." Hiccup continued talking, but turned to Jack as the message became directed more towards him. "We don't care what we're sacrificing. Leaving school doesn't bother us. Our friends are important to us, and we aren't going to quit until we find her."

Merida was loading supplies onto Toothless, making it clear she didn't want the boys to help her. She was a tough one. Then again, maybe she wanted Jack and Hiccup to talk. Hiccup turned to Jack and let him start the conversation. "It hurts." Jack's voice began cracking. "I'm so incompetent. I can't even save her from cracking ice without killing myself."

"Thor almighty, would you stop?" Hiccup hissed. "You didn't do anything wrong. You're doing everything right. Except protesting that Merida and I come along. But I think you secretly want us with you. You could fly off with your magical staff anytime, but you're waiting for Merida and I to get on Toothless and fly with you."

"It still hurts." Jack's voice quivered, and he hung his head. Hiccup was shocked. Usually, acting blunt and slightly presumptuous around Jack could lift his spirits. But something broke inside Jack. Looking into those icy eyes, Hiccup couldn't deny- it had to hurt. "It's not some sharp, fleeting pain, either. It's dull. And throbbing. Relentless. I just want her. I want to hold her and protect her and tell her everything will be ok. I can't stand to think how that woman in the black cloak is torturing her."

"Jack, you don't know Rapunzel's being tortured. Stop thinking like that. You need to be strong. For her."

"Hiccup!" Merida called. "We're ready to fly. Jack, ye ready?"

Jack cleared his throat. "Waiting on you." Jack turned to look at Hiccup, and Hiccup suddenly noticed they were the same height. Hiccup used to be an inch or so shorter than Jack, but now they were eye level. "Do you know where to search first?"

"Maybe DunBroch. That's the village the Muggle Umbridge came from- Imelda, wasn't it? Yeah, Imelda Staunton. Do you think our Umbridge kept some polyjuice potion with her and is hiding Rapunzel down there?"

"Get me the Cloak of Invisibility."

Hiccup walked over to the saddlebags draped over the sleek black backbone of Toothless. Jack followed. Hiccup opened the bag that contained the Stone and the Cloak and handed the Cloak to Jack. "You can't do this on your own."

"No. I'm going to scope out the area. Spy. See if I can find anything. If I can't… there's no use in all three of us barging in there." Without a word, Jack became one with the darkness, and Hiccup was left to assume he flew off.

"Well," Merida started. "Jack's not goin' to leave a single stone unturned. If she's there, he'll find her. He'll stop at nothin'. An' that includes gettin' us to help save her."

"I know. But I can't imagine how I would feel if you-" Hiccup's voice cracked. He didn't want to make a cheesy romantic moment at the expense of Rapunzel's predicament. "This is about them," Hiccup concluded, adjusting his Viking helmet.

"Yer right. It is. An' yer bein' such a great friend to Jack right now. He really needs ye." Hiccup met Merida's gaze and saw she meant what she said. "Ye know he's goin' ballistic. One moment, he'll be lashin' out, an' the next, he'll be cryin' like a wee baby. Yer doin' great. Just don't take anythin' personally."

"You know, taming a dragon is easier than comforting your immortal best friend who lost his magical girlfriend to a five-foot-zero woman in all pink and a creepy man in all black who stocks forests with Dementors. Yeah. And I can say that with full experience." Hiccup turned the Resurrection Stone over in his hand a single time- not to raise his mother, but just for the kinesthetic stimulation. "Life."

Merida's nose wrinkled. "I know. It sucks. Everythin' is bloody awful. I can only name three good things I love about me life, an' one o' them is missin'."

"I'm assuming I'm another one of those three?"

"O' course not. I was talkin' 'bout Toothless."

It was the first joke cracked since they learned Rapunzel was missing, and Hiccup let a shy smile break through, half-laughing, half-exhaling in a way that abandoned reality for a good three seconds. Five. Ten. "We'll find her," Hiccup promised. He reached inside his boot where he stored his wand. "_Accio prophecy_." A saddlebag opened, and the parchment sheet flew into Hiccup's free hand.

"We should put a charm on that," Merida said, concern flitting across her face.

Hiccup cringed. Rapunzel would know some charm to use. But he doubted the rest of them did. "Yeah, we should. But… let's see if there's anything we can use here to save Rapunzel." The two analyzed the prophecy for an eternity or two, but neither of them could come up with anything, except they couldn't let Pitch separate them. Even if this was a trick to distract them from… _something_, they had to find Rapunzel.

They didn't even notice the nightfall. The cloudy night blocked out the moon, and it was hard to see Jack return even after he took of the Cloak of Invisibility. "I didn't find her. But we should all search. She could still be there."

"An' what? We go in DunBroch one by one, each wearin' the Cloak? I can't go home without it, or me parents will be mad I'm not in school."

"And if I go in there, they'll invite me in for another feast." _On second thoughts…_ Hiccup told himself to snap out of it. Humor helped relieve his pain, but he didn't know what it would do to Rapunzel.

"Pitch knew what he was doing," Jack grumbled. "He didn't just want Rapunzel for her hair. She's the brain. We're screwed without her."

"Then we better get her before it's too late." Hiccup straddled Toothless and extended his hand to help Merida up. "You can fly on your own, I suppose."

Jack let go of the staff so it leaned inside his crooked elbow as he thrust his hands into the front pocket of the hoodie. "Where? Back to DunBroch?"

"No." The longer Hiccup had the idea in his head, the stupider it sounded. "Rapunzel's house. Her overprotective mother is going to put up a storm that her daughter's gone missing."

"Her mum's a Muggle!" Merida exclaimed.

"Yeah, and so is mine." Jack took hold of his staff and floated high in the air. "If anything happened to me, my mother would go ballistic. The only thing more powerful than witchcraft and wizardry is love. Do you have a better idea?"

"When we find her mum, then what?" Merida exclaimed.

"Well, Pitch told us that Rapunzel's mother took her home," Hiccup explained. "Obviously, total lie. If we tell Rapunzel's mother that Pitch says Rapunzel's home when she's not… we can go to the Ministry for Magic with that. Get Pitch fired and rescue-"

"Yer sayin' the only person who can help us is a Muggle."

"Merida, seriously." Jack looked a little miffed, and he was subconsciously rubbing his Mudblood scar. "Anyway, I'm not doing any good just floating here. Are you guys coming or not? Oh… wait a minute. Where does Rapunzel's mother live? That tower, right?"

"In the woods!" Merida remembered. "Outside o' Corona, the kingdom o' the Lost Princess, ain't that right?"

Hiccup secured his left foot into the stirrup. Merida held on behind him. "You know the way, Toothless?" With a grunt, the dragon shot off into the sky. "Whoa, boy! Not to fast! Jack needs to keep up!"

"Is that a challenge?" Jack scoffed, bulleting ahead. "Catch me if you can!" Toothless teasingly breathed out a jet of fire, and Jack lost his wind, tumbling several feet to the ground before gaining composure. "Fine! Fine! Lead the way, dragon boy!"

"Hey!" Hiccup called, offended. He heard Merida yawn behind him and lean closer on his back.

"How far away is Corona?" Merida said, her voice a little too light and bubbly.

"You tired?" Hiccup turned around slightly in his saddle.

"No! I'm fine."

Jack floated alongside. "Corona's kind of far off. Flynn told me. Remember, he's from there, too. But you both could use some shuteye. The trip will be an all-nighter." Jack flew closer to Toothless. "Don't worry; I'll make sure you two stay on the dragon."

"Toothless can't fly without me." Hiccup gestured to the missing left tail wing.

"Can't you put him on cruise control or something? Make it so he can glide? I'll wake you up if necessary." Hiccup didn't know if Jack was doing it on purpose, but Jack's words were smooth, low, and even. It was almost like Hiccup's eyelashes were being weighed down with snowflakes.

Hiccup did have a cruise control option. He pulled some levers and manipulated his contraption to fit just right. "Yeah. That'll keep Toothless flying straight."

Hiccup felt Merida leaning onto him. He settled into her embrace, putting a hand on her arms wrapped loosely around his waist. Hiccup found himself synchronizing his breath with her rhythmic inhalation.

* * *

Merida's eyes blinked open. She looked up into the sky. Still dark. She'd always been a light sleeper. The saddle was uncomfortable. Not that she didn't enjoy sitting behind Hiccup. It was, simply, just that sleeping in a saddle was uncomfortable.

Jack had kept his promise and was flying next to them, staring ahead into the dark night. He seemed deep in thought, and Merida heard him sniffling. She decided not to let him know she was awake. She closed her eyes and leaned into Hiccup once more. "Light sleeper, aren't you?"

Merida jumped. She glanced at Hiccup to make sure she hadn't wakened him and turned toward Jack. "How'd ye-?"

"Your breathing shifted. Believe me. I know what it's like to fake sleep. Last year, at one of the Slytherin Dungeon parties, this annoying fifth year wanted to talk to me and I had to fake I was asleep, blacked out from Butterbeer."

"Ye can get drunk from Butterbeer?"

"You shouldn't be able to, but… Slytherin House likes drinking. Anyway, I remember lying down on the floor, and before she got to me, one of my friends kicked me and said, 'Hey, if you're faking sleep, be good at it. Breathe heavy. Don't look like some little angel. Get some ugly face on and sleep in some awkward position.'"

"So yer sayin' me face wasn't ugly, an' ye figured out I was awake?"

Jack laughed, and then seemed to remember the dire situation as his face turned to stone. "Um… yeah, I didn't mean it like that."

"Jack, I'm teasin' ye."

"I know."

"Yer upset."

"Talking about it just makes me more upset. I just want to do what I need to do and… I can't even think about it."

"Jack, ye-"

"Don't."

"Don't what? Talk?"

"Try to comfort me with unrealistic optimism."

"Yer a shinin' ray o' sunshine, me lad."

"Still, don't."

"Ye want to hear realism?"

Jack ruffled his hair. "I don't want to, but I need to deal with the facts."

"Mopin' isn't goin' to save Rapunzel. Ye have to be optimistic in order to save her. Just try."

"You and Hiccup haven't been to Corona."

"Neither have ye."

"No, but Flynn told me about it. It's an island- a beautiful island- in the middle of a wide lake. The lake is completely surrounded by a forest in every which direction. Find a tower hidden in those woods."

"Maybe we can go into Corona. If we find that Rider bloke, he can take us to that tower he found that one day in the woods."

"No. He wouldn't go into Corona. He's a wanted criminal for the Resurrection Stone… which we're carrying in our bag."

"There's no way anyone in Corona would know o' any tower?"

"No way."

"Well… we have an aerial search. It'll be easier than the ground." Merida made the mistake of looking down off the dragon and saw they were flying over the ocean. Merida held tighter onto Hiccup's waist. For a Gryffindor, she sure was scared of heights.

"The North Sea," Jack answered, despite the lack of questioning. He looked into her eyes and smiled cunningly, understanding. "Not an ocean."

"If ye tell anyone I'm… that heights-"

"Uh-huh. Understood. But your reaction if I did would be hysterical…"

"Ye don't dare, ye Slytherin!"

"Yes I would, you fearless Gryffindor."

Merida sucked in her cheeks. "I swear before the ghost o' Mor'du if ye even-" A sharp gust of wind blew back against Merida's flaming curls, which flapped weightlessly in the wind. She held tightly to Hiccup, and Jack kept a firm grip on his staff.

But it wasn't enough. He began spiraling downward, despite both fists clenched tightly around the staff. Merida couldn't even scream, and leaned off the dragon, looking out into the dark night. She couldn't even find his figure flailing into the darkness below. "Jack!" She called.

"Aw, you do care!" came a cool voice behind her.

Merida whipped around to find Jack, with a light grip on his staff, sitting behind her. "Rack off, ye bloody show pony!"

"And… what was that you were going to 'swear before the ghost o' Mor'du'?"

"Me accent sounds nothin' like that. An' I swore I would do this." Merida shoved Jack firmly into the late February winds and sniffed with pride. Turning to the front, she heard Hiccup snore soundly as ever. She smiled, ruffling his thick brown hair. It definitely was getting thicker. Merida usually didn't want to be shallow and notice such things… but Hiccup was getting hotter. In September, he'd been gangly and long-faced. Now, he was thickening up, and Merida could feel the muscles when she clung to his stomach as they flew. He was Jack's height, and Merida felt Hiccup would get even taller. And, as if that wasn't enough, he was starting to get a really impressive jawline…

"Merida!" Jack snapped. "Does that sound good?"

"Yer goin' to have to run that by me again. I'm tired."

Jack frowned sympathetically. "We'll go ahead and stop in the kingdom Corona to see if anyone knows where a tower of any sort might be in the forest. Something tells me that a mother as overprotective as Rapunzel's would pick a tower secure all around. It'll be hard to find from the sky still, and we'll just spend a day there."

"Yer right. But where will we keep Toothless?"

"Forest?"

"Whatever ye say Jack." And, remembering the prophecy, Merida added, "Yer the leader after all."

* * *

"You might as well tell me that much!" Rapunzel snapped, facing her mother. "Who is my father? What does he have to do with my hair? Does he have anything to do with it?"

"Honestly, Rapunzel, do you not trust me anymore? Your father has nothing to do with your hair!"

"Well, Mother, why is my hair like this?"

"When you're older."

"I'm almost eighteen!" Remembering how she rehearsed this conversation with Flynn in her bedroom, Rapunzel took a breath. "I can't continue a relationship on one-sided trust. If you want me to trust you, you need to trust me. Tell me why I am… the way I am. Why is my hair like this? And who's my father? I've always wanted to know!"

"No, Rapunzel!" Mother screamed. "I shan't hear another word about your father! Do not ask such questions!"

Rapunzel shrank away and headed up the stairs to her bedroom slowly. She'd left the door cracked open, and Flynn's concerned brown eye blinked helplessly through the crack. _I told you_, she mouthed, closing her eyes to keep tears from coming.

"The flower." Rapunzel froze. Her mother's usually low voice never sounded so… low. Ominous. Old. Rapunzel was used to being called flower, but not "the flower".

"Mother… are you talking to me?" And the question was of pure confusion, not disrespect. Rapunzel turned around and walked slowly to her mother. The flower had to have something to do with that prophecy.

"I will not say a word about your past- your father, I mean. It hurts me so. However… the flower. I presume you ought to know. There was… a magical flower. When… I was pregnant with you… I was very sick. There were legends of a magical flower that could heal me. The flower's magical powers indeed succeeded, and left the baby- you- with the powers of that flower. When you sing that special song, the power is not in your hair, but the flower. Its powers flow through your veins. The flower was a very ancient magic, and so few knew of it. So few. Most doubted it even existed. Generations came and went… it was forgotten. But I knew of it. I always had." Mother Gothel cleared her throat. "Now, go to your room."

Rapunzel bounded up the steps quickly. She closed the door tightly behind her. "Your mother is so creepy. How can you not see that?"

"What do you mean, my mother's creepy?"

"Hey, you know she is!" Flynn threw his hands up. "Who's the girl begging me to help her get out of here? And why don't we go already, anyway?"

"I want to see what Mother knows about me. It might… help."

"With the whole Pitch wants to take over the world thing? You know, you're lucky I'm a very gullible person desperate for adventure."

"And you're lucky I'm honest, trusting, and naïve! Besides, the reason I stay so long is I want to convince Mother she's on the wrong side! Pitch is a dark wizard! Or, excuse me, _Pitch Black_."

"Sounds to me like a catchy company name. 'Pitch Black wizard robes! Pitch Black witch hats! Now introducing a new collection to the Pitch Black Co.: unisex witch _and/or_ wizard shoes!' Hey… when you finish defeating my Head of House or whatever, I'm so doing that! I can open a store right by the castle… make honest money and corny catch phrases!"

"Selling wizarding items to Muggles! However were you not put in Ravenclaw?" Rapunzel folded her arms in her lavender dress. She hated to admit it, but she had multiple copies of the same dress. She sewed them herself. Besides, what else would she wear, if all her materials from school had "gone missing"?

This meant Pitch had stolen them… or her friends had gotten to them first. Rapunzel kept her fingers crossed.

"Hey, don't mock me! I can be smart if I want to." Flynn protested. "Slytherins are cunning. I've got the perfect way to get rid of your mommy so we can escape this tower. Goldie, how do you stand it in here?"

"Perfectly fine, thank-you. Now, how?"

"When's your birthday? Soon, right?"

"March fourteenth. That's less than two weeks away."

"Get your mother to go far, far away to get you a present. Then, we can use the time to escape and get back to Hogwarts!"

"She doesn't need to go that far away! We just need to find my wand… or the Floo Powder!"

"Ah… no. Your mother's creepy. And I know how creepy works. Your mother has your wand on her. You're not getting that back anytime soon. And your mother won't even risk having Floo Powder around the house. The only way is through the window. Into the forest. To Corona. Then… this is the part you won't be crazy about. The royal family is magic."

"Wizarding family?"

"Exactly. We… break into the castle, steal their Floo Powder, and go back to Hogwarts."

Rapunzel blinked. "Are you insane?" she yelled.

"Rapunzel?" Mother Gothel called from down below. "Is everything all right?"

Rapunzel closed her eyes and put her hand over her mouth. "Yes, Mother. I'm… I just got really into this book I'm reading…"

"Reading isn't good for young ladies! How many times must I tell you? Do all Ravenclaws struggle with this book fetish?"

"Book fetish… that's a new one…" Flynn muttered. Rapunzel shoved his arm playfully and chidingly, feeling his rough, rocky biceps ripple underneath the white cotton sleeve.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, Mother!" Rapunzel called down, giving Flynn a pointed glance. "Come on," she whispered, pulling him into a closet.

"Whoa, I know I'm tempting, but you're with my man Jack, and I'd never betray him. I'm sorry to disappoint you."

"Would you stop being so…?" Rapunzel gestured at all of him pointedly, but in the dark of the wardrobe, he probably couldn't see her.

"I can't help my attractiveness."

"I'm not attracted to you."

"Ouch."

"No, I'm sorry-"

"So you are. Attracted to me, I mean."

Rapunzel scowled. "I just don't want Mother to hear us."

"Of course. None of the girls do."

Scandalized, Rapunzel muttered to herself, "How am I going to work with this?" She bounded out of her wardrobe, fuming. The doors stayed open, and Flynn stayed inside. "Well?" Rapunzel hissed. "Come out of the closet!"

Flynn put a hand on his hip and snapped the other hand's wrist in the air, raising his voice to a nasally, stereotypical tone. "Oh, girl, how did you know? You promise to always accept me for who I truly am?"

"You're insufferable. Disrespectful. And-" Rapunzel slipped into Latin curses.

Flynn did and closed the doors of the wardrobe behind him. "Come on now, Blondie, I don't understand you. One minute you're all sweet and clever and giggly, and the next you're acting like Professor McGonagall in Transfiguration. She was scary…"

"Me?" Rapunzel fought to keep her whisper. "One second you're helpful and genuine and caring and sweet, and the next you're acting like some presumptuous jerk!"

"Can someone say 'personality clash'?" Flynn waved his hands in the air. Rapunzel sat down on her bed frustrated, and she felt the mattress sink as Flynn settled next to her. "Hey." His arm slung comfortingly around her shoulder. "I'm sorry if I offended you. I really am. But… I'm a guy. I'm a guy with a really small ego. I have to pretend it's big ninety percent of the time so people won't notice how vulnerable I am."

"That sounds like something you'd make up just to get me to forgive you, Flynn Rider. I'm not an idiot."

"I'm not Flynn Rider."

Rapunzel sat up stiff. "I've had enough with the polyjuice potion."

"No! No, what I mean is I'm not… I am… I'm the obnoxious Slytherin a year above you at Hogwarts that always hung around Jack. I'm me. I'm who you think I am. But my name isn't Flynn Rider." Rapunzel looked up and saw Flynn blushing with honesty and embarrassment.

"What is it?"

"Ok… to my defense, I was found as a baby at the footstep of an orphanage and the caretaker named me after his late brother-in-law or something. I don't know what they were thinking. Giving a baby boy a name like that should be child abuse-"

"What is it?"

"Eugene. My name is Eugene Fitzherbert."

"Well, my name is Rapunzel. Equally weird names."

"Nah. Yours is beautiful. Mine's… Eugene. Really? Eugene?"

"Hey." Rapunzel rested her hand on his knee. "I like Eugene Fitzherbert much better than Flynn Rider."

"The name or…?" Eugene didn't finish the question. Rapunzel hoped her smile answered anyway. They held eye contact for a while, and Eugene cleared his throat. "Um, anyway, so our escape plan…"

"Right. Of course."

"We have to leave the tower. Recovering your wand is a long shot we don't have time for, and I can promise you there is no Floo Powder available for use here."

"Going into Corona sounds logical… but then what?"

Eugene sighed. "There's got to be other wizards around here. I think that… no, those guys would kill me on the spot… besides, they're probably arrested."

"Uh, yeah, best avoid them."

"But they might know people who are wizards…" Eugene looked up quizzically at Rapunzel. "You know where we should go? The Snuggly Duckling."

Rapunzel felt her shoulders relaxing. "Is that a wizarding inn?"

"More like a thug pub. Hey, I'm trying!"

Rapunzel was really going to have to work on her poker face. Eugene sounded seriously offended. "Of course you are. And I'm really grateful. I couldn't do this without you. Please. Keep going."

Eugene blinked. "It's almost like mind control."

"The Snuggly Duckling?"

"No. When you speak." Eugene shook his head, and Rapunzel decided just to let him keep talking. "Anyway, the Snuggly Duckling is a cheap pub full of… foul-smelling crooks and… that type. It's where I met the Stabbington Brothers. I don't know if they knew I was a wizard or something, but the fact they randomly approached me to ask me to help them steal a crown with that magic stone implanted in it-"

"The Resurrection Stone."

"Right. It just got me thinking… Maybe they're wizards and that's why they want it so badly. Just a guess. And maybe they could sense I was a wizard and… but that wouldn't matter. They didn't really use me for much magic anyway."

"Maybe they were planning to before you ditched them. Jack and Merida told me your story."

"Ah." The confusion sunk off of Eugene's face. "Well… yeah. Anyway… it's really just a guess. There could be other wizards in there. I don't think they're dark wizards in there, but wizards who lead lives as bad Muggles. You know the difference?"

"I think I can comprehend," Rapunzel shrugged. "But this is all a guess?"

"Yeah. And I could be completely wrong and the trip could be totally dangerous. It's a pub filled with thugs. A thug joint. Bad. Dangerous. Risky."

"I've been warned. We'll stop by there on the way to Corona. Hopefully, we'll improvise along the way. And… will we be on the road during my birthday?"

"Yeah. Does that bother you?"

"No, not at all. In fact… will we be in Corona on my birthday?"

"We could get there by then. Why? Do you want to buy something or have a fun day in town?"

Rapunzel decided to come out and ask him. "The floating lights they do in the kingdom every year?"

"The lantern thing they do for the Lost Princess on her birthday."

"Well, they coincidentally happen to be on my birthday, too. This year, I'm turning eighteen, which is adult age in the Muggle world, anyway, and what I want more than anything… what I've wanted for a really long time… is to see those lights in person. Do you think it would hurt to take a night off the trip and just see the lantern ceremony?"

Eugene pressed his lips together. "I suppose not. But, remember… I'm a wanted criminal. Best not stay in public in the kingdom."

"Wanted criminal, you say? C'mon, how bad is it?

"I'm Corona's number one most wanted. It's in their listings."

"They have more than one criminal? Is it a dangerous city?"

"Around ten. So, no, not dangerous. They're all at the Snuggly Duckling. Vladimir, Tor, Ulf, Gunter, Attila, the Stabbington Brothers, Bruiser, Fang, Killer, Big-Nose, Hook-Hand… you'd think the last two would be offended by those names, but they actually prefer to go by them. It's funny, really-"

"And you're number one."

"Honestly? The others lay low. The worst Vladimir's done is stolen a barrel of ceramic from a village pottery shop for little girls' birthday parties. I still don't know why. Anyway, the Stabbington Brothers used to be tied as number one most wanted, the ones everyone feared, but I ditched them, and they're in prison now, so…"

"I don't know if I should be relieved or terrified we're going to the Snuggly Duckling."

"Anyway, I've done my part. How are you going to convince your mother to go shopping far away for your birthday present?"

"I can't send her shopping in Corona…"

"Yeah… that would be a negative."

Rapunzel thought hard. "New… paints?"

"Do you even have any more room to paint in this tower?"

"New paints and canvases. Yes, that's good. I can ask for those paints from those shells in… you wouldn't know what I'm talking about. The paints alone is a trip three days time."

"Three days there and three days back?"

"No. Three days includes there and back. It should still be enough time to spend one day looking for my wand or any kind of Floo Powder. Search this tower. Tear it down brick by brick. Figuratively, of course. Then, we'll most likely fail, but set out on the journey straight away."

"You're right. Even though 'we'll most likely fail', it's important to find your wand if possible. Then, we'll go to Snuggly Duckling, see the lanterns, and… improvise.


	21. Arrival, Archery, & Admitted

"Dude! Man, c'mon, we're here!" Jack shook Hiccup violently, who finally groaned and sat up straight on Toothless.

"I got it. I got it. I got it," Hiccup yawned, his eyes half-closed. "We're… we're here… whoa."

Hiccup grabbed Merida's knee and shook her gently. "Is it mornin'?" she asked drowsily. When she laid her eyes on the kingdom, she had the same reaction as Hiccup as her eyes widened immensely. "Whoa."

A large, white castle with a red tiled roof towered over an island sporting purple flags with golden suns in the center. The village surrounding it looked as though straight from a storybook. "This is the Corona? The right Corona?" Jack asked Toothless, who snorted smoke.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Hiccup asked.

Jack looked in between Merida and Hiccup. Neither of them got it. "Rapunzel said she lived in a tower in the woods with her mother because her mother was trying to protect her from a cruel, harsh world. The magical hair is one thing, but Rapunzel's mother was making the world out to be entirely evil. I always assumed that it was because Rapunzel came from a kingdom filled with crime and horror-"

"Ain't this where that Rider boy lives?" Merida supplied.

Jack looked down into the village. For whatever reason, banners and other decorations were beginning to sparkle the town. Children danced around the streets as they set to work helping their parents make the town more beautiful. "Yes, this is where he lives, alright."

"We're going to have to land Toothless in the forest and cross that bridge into Corona. We are going inside the kingdom, right?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, of course." Jack shook his head to get focused. "Can you send your dragon to walk further into the forest or something? I don't feel comfortable leaving a dragon on the border of Muggle woods."

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Hiccup grumbled.

Jack didn't have time for this. "Toothless? You heard me?" Toothless snorted again. "You know," Jack continued, "I never get more than some kind of a snort from this guy. He really doesn't like me."

A smile poked at Merida's lips. "Well, maybe if ye stop referrin' to him in third person as if he's not here, ye'd find that-"

"Yeah, Merida, I get it," Jack scowled. He closed his eyes and counted to ten. Looking up at the sun, he estimated it was about nine in the morning. That meant Jack had officially had thirty-six hours to get a level head on Rapunzel's situation. He still felt easily agitated and unfocused. He couldn't carry out a conversation without biting someone's head off or slipping into some random depression. "Land the dragon, Hiccup. I'll scope out the city on my own. I guess all three of us will meet up whenever."

Hiccup began to argue, but Merida put a hand on his shoulder, reading Jack's eyes clearly. "Go 'head, Jack. If ye think splittin' up is the best move, ye go on an' land in Corona. Ye might be able to find somethin' on yer own."

On his own. That was really what Jack needed. He mock-saluted to the pair and spiraled downward onto the roof of the castle. No one was looking up into the sky, expecting a flying boy and two teenagers riding a dragon, so Jack went unnoticed. Scanning the kingdom, Jack slowly scaled down the castle, trying to think of what to do that would be useful or helpful. He paced the cobblestone streets in town, looking at random signs and ignoring the looks people gave him and his conspicuous staff

"Hey," Jack said, stopping a random elderly man pushing a wooden milk cart out of his shop. "Do you know where I could find any citizen records or-?"

"Palace, of course." The man's voice was rough and scratchy but gentle in tone. "No where else. And, naturally, they're very selective of who gets access to what. What do you need to know?"

"Just… where someone lives."

"I've been in this town since I was a boy. My parent's, parent's, parent's-"

"So you could help me?"

"I know where everyone lives. Just say his or her name."

"Uh… I just know her last name. Gothel."

Considering a fact the family was living locked in a tower, Jack wasn't surprised when the man blinked. "Do you mean Gretel? Goughter?"

The man continued rambling names. "No, no, Gothel."

"What does she look like, son?"

Jack froze. He'd never seen Rapunzel's mother. Never met her. Was there a worst boyfriend ever award? The only thing he knew about her appearance was that she didn't have Rapunzel's long, golden hair. "Never mind. I'm sorry to bother you."

The milkman grabbed Jack's arm as he walked off. "Wait, son, why do you need to know this?" Jack didn't answer, but his face must've looked pretty desperate. "Tell you what," the man continued, voice low. "I was delivering this to the palace and I'm tight on time anyway. I'll pay you…" The man reached into his pockets and pulled out a good sum of the Muggle currency used in Corona. "Just drop the milk off in the kitchen. If you need directions, ask anyone in the palace. Maybe you can find someone in there who will help you."

Jack shook his head in confusion. These were the bad people Rapunzel was sheltered from? "Sir, I- I can't tell you-"

"Yeah, but you can show me. I know that face." Jack looked deep into the man's stormy gray eyes and saw something flicker. "You're an orphan looking for your birth mother, huh?" Jack decided the best move was to stay silent. "Yeah. You're not from around here, huh? Would recognize you if you were."

"Obviously," Jack chuckled weakly. "You know everyone."

"Yes, and I used to head an orphanage for boys while back. They've probably grown up and are all your age by now. I remember they'd always ask me everything they possibly could about their parents. Sometimes I had to guard answers because they wouldn't want to know. I wish I could say I knew something about yours."

Jack was all ready to go, but he decided to push into the evil characters Rapunzel's overprotective mother ranted about. "What do you mean, 'guard answers'?"

"Mainly with the oldest boy, Eugene. I found him on my doorstep as a baby with a note. A note that told me everything except for his name. Eugene was my own christening after by late brother-in-law."

"Wait, a detailed note that forgot his name?"

"Parents don't forget their child's name. They just didn't want or name him."

Underneath sorrow and disgust, Jack found an inexplicable curiosity wrenching inside. "What did the note say?"

"The mother was a young teenager who had a boyfriend. A soldier. Accidents happen." The milkman nodded. "She remained anonymous, but gave a very detailed report of her family life and background. Everything that affected and or justified her decision of doing anything in her power to get rid of the baby. Falling on her stomach, starving herself, et cetera. The boy was a fighter. The orphanage didn't even exist yet. I had just been making big talk around town. The girl must've overheard and left her baby on my doorstep when able."

"That's… horrible," Jack mused.

"Horribly sad, yes, but it was her decision. She was a teenager. She wasn't ready. But I have to admit that I spent a bit of time deducing who the mother was. I found out only when Eugene was seven years old and the orphanage had grown to fifteen boys. Eugene was always the oldest. He had a way with them. Charming from a young age." The milkman shook his head. "Using the letter, I found out who the mother was."

"And?"

"Dead. She'd run away with a soldier- a different one from another kingdom- and died of a smallpox epidemic that wiped out that entire territory. She was twenty-three."

Jack puffed out his cheeks. "The father?"

"When I found the mother, I found the father just fine. In fact, you're probably going to meet him when you deliver my milk. Captain of the Guard now, he is. Ugly man, too… oh, I'm sorry, that's quite rude. But young Eugene must've gotten his looks from his mother, that's all I have to say."

"Does Eugene know…?"

"Would a seven-year-old prefer dead parents or a floozy mother and an absentee biological father?"

Jack cleared his throat and began pushing the milk cart. Accidents happen. That didn't mean she was floozy. But from a seven-year-old boy's perspective, Jack tried to understand. "Yeah. Um, I guess I understand. So he's grown up now?"

The milkman didn't walk alongside Jack, but just shrugged and called after him: "I don't know. He was a rebellious teenager. Some foreign reformatory boarding school picked him up when he was thirteen. The program was years and years. Finally, when he finished his 'schooling'… never saw him again."

"I'll see if I can find him, too!" Jack called back just to see the old man smile. But Jack knew it was probably impossible.

The wheels of the milk cart rattled down the street back to the palace. It was amazing how Jack didn't realize he'd left his staff leaning against the front wall of the milkman's barn, right outside his door.

* * *

Merida looked around Corona in awe. It was nothing, _nothing_, like DunBroch's rolling hillsides and old stony fortresses. Merida felt like she was a fictional character living in a fairytale neighborhood of villagers coexisting in a utopian society.

"You're still not over this place, are you?" Hiccup chuckled, noting her awe.

"Sorry for appreciation' marvelous architecture an' takin' note o' the extraordinary rulin' talents o' the king an' queen here!"

"Are you trying to sound super sophisticated or something?"

"Not tryin'. I _do_ sound super sophisticated."

"But of course." Silence as they walked through. "Well… what should we do first?"

Merida sighed. She really, really wanted to do some investigating for Rapunzel's sake, but she also knew Jack was on that. While Rapunzel was gone, Merida found they were taking turns being the mature logical ones. "Um… why don't we find an inn? I think we're aimin' to spend more than a day here."

"We don't have Muggle money. Just Galleons and Sickles and Knuts." Hiccup dug a hand into his pocket and pulled out the gold, silver, bronze coins, letting them drip through his fingers back into the pocket. "Do you think there are any wizards here?"

"I don't know. I know the king an' queen are, but I think that's it. There's ought to be somebody-"

"And," a salesman's voice rose teasingly, "the winner gets a free three-night stay at the Lavender Lights Lodge, Corona's own original lodging for travelers here to see the spectacular Festival of the Floating Lights!"

Merida's fiery curls whipped around as she followed the source of the voice. A tall, skinny man was gesturing to purple and gold targets with a golden sun in the center of them, the same golden sun as the flag. "Archery," Merida whispered.

She half-expected Hiccup to be the party-pooper and argue or something, but he just grabbed her wrist and dragged her over. "You got this."

"Well!" The salesperson smiled, probably thinking discriminatingly towards female archers. "A contestant!"

"So… a three-night stay durin' this… Festival o' the Floatin' Lights?"

The salesperson laughing with a demeaning laugh, as if educating a two-year-old. "Well, sweetie, the festival isn't for another fortnight! This three-night stay is only including the next three nights. But I most certainly recommend you give it a 'shot'!" The man laughed at his own pun, and Merida felt like whipping out her wand to cast a Stunning Spell. Naturally, she couldn't around Muggles. "Did I mention that the Lavender Lights Lodge is brand new? Beautifully furnished in purple, well-lit with natural sunlight-"

"Can I shoot for me own chance to stay there for three nights?" Merida said, trying to sound diplomatic but probably coming across downright frustrated.

"And, my, my, my, this little young lady brought her own archery set!" The salesman was looking at the bow and quiver swung on her back. "How adorable!" He clapped his hands, and Merida turned to look at Hiccup, who mouthed, _Give him hell_.

So Merida did. "What are yer rules?"

"Stay behind this line." The man motioned to the line that Merida was required to stand behind. "And hit all three targets! Highest accuracy wins. So far, out of the many contestants of today, the highest result was from-"

"I don't care. How did they score?"

"One arrow in the ring right around bull's-eye and two arrows on the ring just outside that. Do you think you can- whoop! There she goes. Bull's-eye! First target bull's-eye! Ladies and gentleman, we have a sweet prodigious lady-archer!"

"Loki of Asgard," Hiccup exclaimed in frustration. "Would you stop narrating?"

Merida was laughing as she released the second arrow, but it still pierced the second bull's-eye with incredible accuracy. "How adorable!" Merida droned.

"Second bull's-eye!" the salesman exclaimed. "That's-" The stink-eye from Hiccup shut him right up.

On the third target, Merida imagined Pitch's cold, golden eyeball staring back at her instead of the eye of some figurative bull. Sure enough…

"Three bull's-eyes! We win! We win! Ha! We win!" Hiccup screamed in the salesman's face.

"Ah… yes, but there's still the possibility someone can score higher… well, equally. But three bull's-eyes… still, I have to keep the window open."

"If this is a scam-"

"Hiccup, it's ok." Merida pulled him away. "Even if it is, it's not like I wasted me money." She retrieved her arrows. "Or me arrows. Just two minutes o' me time. C'mon. We'll figure somethin' out to stay at some inn."

Merida and Hiccup turned to see the salesman talking to another professional-looking businessman, who guffawed as he clutched his potbelly. "Well, why not?" The man turned to Merida. "Redhead! Come on over! You won you and your husband here one lovely room at the Lavender Lights Lodge for three nights!"

"Uh…" Hiccup's face paled.

"We're not married," Merida protested. "Yet, anyways."

"Technically," Hiccup muttered.

"Yeah," she said.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Oh!" The businessman flipped his hand in a nonchalant manner. "That didn't stop me. Technicalities, technicalities!"

"You don't understand," Hiccup protested. "We have a third friend who's supposed to be joining us tonight-"

"Oh!" the salesperson laughed. "I understand perfectly!"

"Hiccup…" Merida started, knowing he didn't understand where the salesman and businessman were getting at.

"Exactly," Hiccup said. "So two rooms."

"Why would you need two rooms for that?" The businessman chuckled, and he and the salesperson exploded with laughter.

"I don't get it," Hiccup muttered. Merida just face-palmed. "One room for you and Jack and I won't mind sharing."

"Technically, Jack doesn't need a room. He doesn't sleep, ye know? Just one for ye and another for me. Ye didn't need to mention the third party."

"Whoops." Hiccup shrugged, still not getting it.

"We'll have one room ready for you this evening," the businessman spread his hands apart accommodatingly. "Large bed for all three of you."

"What is he-?" And then Hiccup finally got it.

"Yer not a talker, me boy," Merida said, patting his upper arm. She turned back to the salesperson and the businessman. "Could ye give us directions to the Lavender… what was it? Lavender Lights Lodge for this evenin'?"

"Oh, tourists!" The businessman walked a few feet away to a store and grabbed a map from the front that Merida had to assume was just free. "Here's an entire map of Corona! You're standing here… and the Triple L is here! Perfect for parties of three!"

"Yeah, we got it," Hiccup blushed, folding the map. "Well, 'k, thanks, bye."

Merida laughed as she ran after Hiccup down the street. "Calm down, would ye?"

"I'm horribly embarrassed."

"Don't be. After all, if we're goin' to be married, it's important for me to see both yer good an' yer awkward sides."

"Well, yeah, but why don't you have any bad sides?"

She blushed. "An' that's yer good side."

In a hesitant, awkward move, Hiccup took Merida's hand. She gently squeezed his back. The continued walking down the road in silence, mainly trying to learn the kingdom without the map. They pointed out landmarks to one another and just enjoyed being. Finally, getting into the heart of the village, they appeared at a rundown barn with a mooing coming from the back. "Milk Shack," Hiccup read from the sign. Suddenly, his eyes laid on something. "Jack's staff."

Merida thought that was some cheesy exclamatory phrase Hiccup would say, like "Loki of Asgard" or "Thor almighty", for instance. She was about to laugh as he ripped his hand away and charged a couples paces ahead to the front of the barn, where Jack's staff leaned against the wall. Hiccup gripped it in his left hand. Jack always held in it his right hand. The whole thing seemed too wrong.

Merida charged around behind the barn, where she saw an old man sitting on a stool, milking a cow. "Where's Jack?" she growled. She heard Hiccup charge in behind her with the staff. The man stood up and smiled.

"Oh, goody, customers! And what may I get for you today, ma'am? Sir?"

His voice had an elderly grit to it that made Merida's heart settle. "Where's our friend, Jack? This is his staff."

Hiccup held up the long wooden stick. "Six feet of wood here with a shepherd's crook at the end. I know my best friend's staff when I see my best friend's staff."

The old man narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Well, I'm a mean, mean old man! I never asked that sonny for his name! Does 'Jack' have stark white hair, pale skin, blue eyes, and a blue hoodie? Why, that poor young man was barefoot!" The old man's face contorted with guilt. "Now, why didn't I get that young orphan boy some shoes?"

Merida turned to Hiccup in confusion. Everything was right except for the orphan part. "Um," Hiccup started, "I…" He cleared his throat and shared a look with Merida that said: _Just go with it_. "Where'd he go?"

"You two are good friends of that wonderful young man?"

Merida smiled. Jack could be a charmer if he really tried. And he said all adults hated him. "Yes. We are."

"Well, you do know he's looking for his parents?" Merida and Hiccup nodded unconvincingly, but it was enough for the old man. "So… I sent him to the palace with my milk delivery, hoping he might get access to look through records for his biological mother. Somehow, he's already figured out her last name." The old man had a devilish, youthful grin.

"Gothel," Hiccup guessed. Merida inhaled slowly. Jack was smart. Rapunzel was seriously rubbing off on him. She supported them going out more than ever before. "Did he say that the woman's last name was Gothel?"

"Yes; so you know. I'd assume the boy will come back here to get his staff, but you might want to hold onto it for safekeeping. If you wand to find him, that's fine, but please, let me treat you to a nice glass of cold milk first!"

Merida and Hiccup followed the old man inside the barn, where an ice bin laid tucked in the corner. Glass bottles were filled smooth, soft, rich milk. Hiccup grabbed two, handed one to Merida, and Merida felt she'd never drunk anything more delicious or satisfying in her entire life. It was as if her insides chilled immediately while her skin stayed warm and comforting, like curling up in a blanket during the winter. "Thank-ye, sir. This milk is amazin'," Merida managed between gulps.

His eyes widened. "You really think so?"

Hiccup raised his glass. "This is the best I've ever tasted."

"Well, you two and your friend, that Jack boy, can stop by for free milk anytime you'd like. And if you ever need any cash whatsoever, let me know. I'd be glad to help."

Jack must've made a really good impression. "Wow. Thank-ye very much, sir," Merida said. "An' yer name is…"

The old man flipped his hand nonchalantly. "Call me Papa. That's what the boys at the orphanage I used to run called me." Papa shared a charming smile as he cocked his head to one side endearingly. "And your names are?"

* * *

"Nothing?" Hiccup protested.

"Nothing." Jack shrugged. "I can't find any records on anyone named 'Gothel'. I tried multiple spellings and probably stayed in that records room a little too long. I don't know how I didn't get caught. Anyway," Jack curled both hands around the staff. "It's a good thing you found this. I don't know what I'd do… and you got us free milk and an endless supply of cash. And you got yourselves a room. Wow. You two accomplished so much, and I wasted the day in a records room."

"Jack, don't say that." Merida yawned and looked up into the night sky. "Ye think Toothless will be ok? He's goin' to be alone for three whole nights."

"He's not in the sky," Hiccup chuckled. "Remember, he can't fly without me? He can only glide through the air. There's no way he could take off or land. He's really good at blending in with darkness, though. He'll be running around the forest like crazy. No one will be able to find him."

"Not even me?" Jack smiled deviously. "I'm going to be alone for three whole nights, too!"

"I'm sure if you call, Toothless will respond," Hiccup reassured Jack.

"Nah. I don't think your dragon likes me too much, man."

That was true. That didn't mean Hiccup had to admit it. But Toothless didn't hate Jack, either. "Of course Toothless will tease you. He'll be hard to find. Remember, he needs an hour of sleep every night-"

"Whoa, dude, you sound like a single father conducting a babysitter on how to take care of his child!" Jack threw one hand in the air, still gripping the staff with the other. Even though his skin was white already, his knuckles somehow grew whiter. "I'm off. And you two… have fun tonight."

Jack flew off. Hiccup almost called after him when Merida warned him. "He just wants a reaction. Trust me. Me three wee brothers at home do the same thing all the time at home."

"Yeah… how are they?" Hiccup said, trying to break the awkward.

"Well, considerin' ye've been to my home more than I have the past few months, how would I know?" Merida just laughed, and Hiccup blushed.

"Well, that's good to hear!" Hiccup joked, shrugging casually. "So… you remember the way to the 'Triple L'?" he said, mocking the previous encounters of that day. As Merida began reeling off the directions as they walked faster and faster through the city, Hiccup became more agitated. They were going to a tavern. They were going to sleep in the same bed. Together. Did Merida expect anything? Did she want him to stay on his side and not make a single move for risk of losing both his hands and maybe a foot if he were lucky? Did she prefer a side? Was he supposed to pick a side? These were the questions of married life no one ever went over with you that just screws everything up. Then again, it was probably only right to let Merida take the bed and sleep on the floor.

"See? It's right up ahead. Told ye I knew a shortcut."

"And I never doubted you," Hiccup added as they entered the inn. He had to admit the salesman had been right; the natural pink light from the sunset poured in through windows, making the purple furniture glitter enticingly under the eye. The place practically screamed: _Hey! We're tourists here in Corona! Take our money!_ Luckily, they'd won those three nights free.

"Where's the third party?" the businessman joked. Hiccup turned to see him behind the counter, chuckling.

"I was joking about that," Hiccup said, getting a creepy vibe from the man. He took Merida's hand for reassurance, and then realized that could be interpreted as creepy, too. Luckily, she didn't pull away. "Do we still get a free room?"

Hiccup was lucky to catch the keys in his free hand as the businessman tossed them coolly. "Better yet, you get a suite! Just go down that hall and go up those stairs until you reach the top. Find the double doors at the end of the hall. And viola! Do have a nice stay. And tell your friends back home! Tell everybody about the Triple L…"

To be nice, Hiccup and Merida listened to the rant before heading up the wooden spiral staircase. "Wow. What a tall tavern! Four stories…" Hiccup muttered.

"An' we're at the very top. I hate climbin' stairs."

"Oh, man, am I supposed to carry you? I'm weak."

Hiccup loved saying things that made her laugh. "O' course not. An' yer not weak. I'd have to admit, yer packin' on a bit of muscle."

"Really?" Hiccup looked down at himself and smiled with shy pride. He'd been looking in the mirror recently at Hufflepuff Basement, thinking to himself that he did look better, but he wasn't sure if that was just his hope tricking him into seeing things that weren't there. But he'd leveled out his height with Jack. He really was putting on muscle. And, best of all, he was starting to get that trademark Viking jawline that everyone back home had except for him. Hiccup genuinely felt his father was going to be surprised when Hiccup came home. Puberty had finally been good to him. Hey, better late than never.

"Would I lie to ye?"

"Nah. You're more of the brutally honest type."

"Not sorry."

"Exactly." Hiccup laughed, hoping ignoring the awkward would abolish it. "I think we're here. Top floor." Sure enough, aspen wood double doors greeted them down the narrow hall. Fumbling with the keys like a fool, he managed to unlock the doors of the room, which swung out into the hall. Hiccup only found that out after minutes of pushing on the doors.

Merida walked in first. "This place is amazin'." She continued pacing around the room, refusing to look at Hiccup. He was sure that even if she did look at him, he'd just look away bashfully.

Hiccup yawned. "I'm pretty tired. I'm going to go ahead and crash."

"Sure. Bed's over there."

Hiccup's head snapped up. "You take the bed. You're not sleeping on the floor!"

"An' neither are ye." She finally turned around to look at him with those piercing blue eyes. "We can share. Ye have a problem?"

There was absolutely, positively no problem at all whatsoever in that arrangement. "Are you sure you-?"

"Just get in bed!" Merida said with an exasperated tone, throwing her hands in the air. "Would it make ye feel better if ye were the gentleman an' let me pick me side?"

"Actually, yes, that would."

Rolling her eyes, Merida flipped the covers open, sat down on the right side of the bed, and kicked off her shoes. "Guess we're goin' to have to sleep in our clothes."

Hiccup was already taking off his shirt. "Oh… are you bothered if I just sleep in… never mind."

"No, ye go ahead. Doesn't bother me."

Hiccup avoided eye contact as he moved to the left side of the bed, the unoccupied side, and began undressing. He folded his shirt neatly, keeping only his pants on his body. "You know… if you're wearing something underneath that dress, and it'd be more comfortable than… it doesn't look comfortable to sleep in a dress, anyways. You can have my shirt if it would make you feel any better."

Merida smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. Kind o' would." Tossing his shirt over, Hiccup pretended to be engrossed with the swirling designs of the mauve sheets as Merida changed quickly, not bothering to fold her clothes as she tossed her blue-green dress onto the floor offhandedly. "Thank-ye, by the way."

"No problem." The candle on the nightstand of Hiccup's side of the bed had been lit by the workers of the lodge, and asking Merida if it was ok, he went ahead and blew it out. The room was dark and silent. They laid on their backs far apart, side-by-side.

"We're goin' to have to get used to this," Merida said, laughing softly.

Hiccup smiled, turning his head toward her. "Do I make you uncomfortable?"

"O' course not. Are ye kiddin' me? I feel safest when I'm 'round ye. Together, we're goin' to lead the greatest kingdom ever." As his eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness, Hiccup saw Merida smile to herself.

"Lead a kingdom."

"I'm anxious 'bout it all, too."

"No. I'm not… well, yeah, I'm scared to lead a kingdom, but that's not what I meant when I said that." Merida waited for him to explain. "We're going to lead a great kingdom. You are, at least. I'll be the supportive house-husband." Merida chuckled as he continued. "But what I'm excited about…" It sounded stupid, but Hiccup had already started blabbing. "I can't wait to be a father."

Hiccup turned onto his side to fully face Merida, who turned around to face him as well. "I can see that in ye." She smiled and allowed him to indulge in his daydreams. "Do ye want sons or daughters?"

"Both."

"Both?" She repeated.

"Yeah. At least one of each, maybe three kids total."

"Only three, eh?"

"I want to have that special time for each of them individually and be a good father that's always there to listen and teach and support and lead…"

"An' why is that such a big goal o' yours?" she asked.

Hiccup frowned. Even in the innocence of the setting, there was an intimacy that made him want to spill out his life problems to Merida. He wanted to bond with her and trust her with everything. "I don't want my kids to be like me."

Merida's eyes burst open. "Hiccup, ye don't dare say that! If I have any say, I'd want kids more like ye than me: gentle, sweet, carin', and trustworthy. What do ye mean, ye don't want them like ye?"

"I don't want them to have to struggle with the things I struggle with," he blurted.

In the silence, he feared Merida would judge him. But he knew she was better than that. "We all struggle with somethin', Hiccup. An' I don't see yer flaws-"

"Well, we're getting married, so you'll see them soon enough," Hiccup snapped. "I have remarkably low self-esteem, cowardice, and daftness."

Silence. "Hiccup, ye…" But she didn't have anything to say. "Yer brave an' loyal an' clever. Nothin' ye said is true."

Hiccup tried not to be brash. "And the low self-esteem?"

"I always knew ye were humble."

"And people see humility as a good quality. So they don't see the major flaw I struggle with everyday."

"I don't know why ye would struggle with such a thing. Ye've tamed a dragon, yer the glue an' brains that hold us together in Rapunzel's absence, an' yer the most reliable out o' all o' us. Ye see so much good in everybody when yer so much better. Not to mention… Hiccup, over the last few months, ye've been gettin' mighty handsome."

"Merida!" Hiccup protested, blushing violently.

"But I'm touched ye'd trust me with what ye struggle with."

"I don't expect you to fix it or give me life-saving advice. Just to listen."

"An' that I promise I'll always do. But… Hiccup, ye came to trust me with this while talkin' 'bout how ye couldn't wait to be a father one day. Does this have anythin' to do with…?" Hiccup blushed. Merida had great intuition when it came to family. Hell, she should. She had a large family and plenty of years with them.

"My father's always been really harsh." Hiccup's voice was small. "I feel so unappreciative of all he's done for me, but I feel like… now would be a good time to tell you I suck with words."

"As do we all. An', Hiccup, parents aren't perfect. Ye shouldn't scrutinize them, o' course, but acknowledgin' they did somethin' wrong in upraisin' ye is only natural. It's how the human race works. Appreciate all yer father's done for ye an' taught ye. An' when it's yer turn to lead a new generation, ye can learn from him what to do an' not to do. An' we'll make mistakes with our kids, too. But they'll learn from us."

Hiccup smiled at her. Without prying, his fiancée made him feel better about the majority of his life's doubts and worries. She understood him. "I love you," he sighed. She whispered the same message back. And, closing his eyes, Hiccup drifted off.


	22. Runaway, Rider, & Roped

"Five more days, Mother!" Rapunzel said as she glided down the steps from her bedroom.

"Till what, darling?"

Rapunzel sucked in her cheeks. "Take a guess."

"Ah!" Mother Gothel clapped her hands. "A full moon, isn't it?"

"No." The wound from missing Jack was reopened. "Well, maybe it is; I don't know. I was talking about something else."

"Were you know? And, by the way, it is a full moon. I keep track of such events. Darling, go ahead and sit down. I've already made your breakfast."

The oatmeal was far too watery. "Delicious, Mother. So… do you have a guess?"

Mother Gothel spooned another sip of oatmeal into her mouth, not acknowledging her daughter. "Thank-you, my Flower. You always enjoy my breakfasts. Now, when are you going to cook me something?"

"Yesterday I made pancakes-"

"After all, I can't be expected to do all the work!" Mother Gothel chuckled.

"Ok," Rapunzel said. "Since you're not answering, I'm just going to say it. It's my eighteenth birthday!"

"What? No, no. It couldn't be. I distinctly remember. Your birthday was last year." She closed her eyes and had another dainty sip of oatmeal.

"Well, that's the thing about birthdays, Mother. They're kind of an annual thing! So, what I was really wanting for my birthday… what I just think would be really special because I'm turning eighteen and everything and I would just enjoy it more than anything in the world and-"

"Rapunzel, do you mind? You know how the mumbling gets on my nerves! Enough with the mumbling. What is it?" Mother Gothel snapped.

Rapunzel took a deep breath. "I would like some new paints. The ones from those shells you got me. Do you remember? And… maybe some freshly woven canvases too." She felt guilty into tricking her mother into leaving for an opportunity to run away, but Rapunzel knew that it was to protect not only herself but her mother as well.

Mother Gothel's eyes widened. "Darling, I was expecting you were going to ask about… ah, never mind." Rapunzel played stupid, but she knew her mother was talking about that yearly request to see the floating lights when she was younger, before she was at Hogwarts during her birthday. "You know the trip for those paints is a trip three days time. Then, if I were to go out of my way to find some nice canvases… that would be an additional four days."

"I thought you could find canvases at the same place you found those paints."

"No more. The store went out of business." Mother Gothel sighed. "Rapunzel, I do appreciate your maturity. I understand how upset you were about coming back, but you've been handling it like a young lady. And you're not burrowing your nose in a book nearly as much or attempting to contact your friends behind my back. If I leave now, I'll be home just after your birthday. But I'd have your presents. Would you mind, Flower?"

Rapunzel couldn't understand how a mother could so easily just skip her daughter's birthday, but it would give Rapunzel time to see the floating lights without having to worry that her mother was searching after her. "I wouldn't mind, Mother."

"Wonderful," Mother Gothel murmured. "I'll set out now. I'll be gone only seven days, no more, no less." She dabbed her mouth with her napkin. "Long trip, though, dear. I'll be tired afterwards. When I come back, would you sing for Mommy?"

"Oh! Of course!" Rapunzel, feeling immensely guilty, distracted herself as she hastily unset the table and cleaned the dishes as Mother Gothel fetched her long black cloak, who met Rapunzel at the window. As she slung her blond hair over the window's hook, Rapunzel gently lowered her mother down the side of the tower. Rapunzel was tempted to run to her room, but waved goodbye to her mother until she disappeared. "Eugene!" she shouted as soon as it was safe.

He'd been listening at her door the whole time. "Wow. That's perfect!"

"What? Did you have low expectations?"

Eugene smiled slyly and began opening drawers. "C'mon. This is the first time she's left that tower since you got here. We need to search for that wand!"

Rapunzel almost offered him some oatmeal first, but it tasted absolutely terrible. Besides, she had that stash of muffins in her room that kept Eugene satisfied. For a while, they searched cabinets and cupboards, mantles and shelves. Suddenly, Eugene slammed his hand loudly against the armoire he was searching. "What's wrong?" Rapunzel asked. His answer surprised her.

"I know where your wand is! Does your mother have pockets on the inside of that long black cloak? The one she put on before she left. I was watching from the crack in your door; that's the only reason I know."

Rapunzel's heart shrank. "Yeah. She does. You think my wand's in there?"

"Well, it's a long shot, but… does your mother have a habit of putting on her cloak in a kind of swishing motion, like this?" Eugene overdramatically pantomimed the way Mother Gothel slung her cloak over her shoulders, and despite herself, Rapunzel laughed.

"Ok, sure, but why?"

"Maybe she could've flung it out of her cloak by accident!"

"Now you're thinking like a Ravenclaw."

"But she wasn't," Eugene snorted as he nodded his head towards Mother Gothel's room. A few feet away from the door, Rapunzel's thin elm-wood wand had rolled across the floor and nestled next to the wall. She tried to run to her wand, but Rapunzel found her feet rooted to the floor in shock. "I was actually hoping for more of a challenge," Eugene moaned. "This is disappointing. Hey, aren't you going to get your wand?"

Rapunzel snapped out of her daze and sprinted across the room, nonverbally casting a Patronus once she had a firm grip on it. The silver chameleon floated across the room and landed on Eugene's shoulder, sticking its silver phantom tongue in his ear. Eugene yelped and batted the chameleon away, causing it to disintegrate into shiny dust. "What is that? A frog?"

"No, chameleon. Pascal's a chameleon. My pet. He doesn't stay in the tower during the school year because Mother doesn't know about him… she kind of hates him. She thinks he's disgusting." Rapunzel scrunched up her shoulders and giggled. "He'd come to my tower if he knew I was home, but he knows I'm not supposed to be back until the summer. So he's outside in the woods… somewhere."

"Let's leave!" Eugene said excitedly, grabbing hold of her arm to brace himself for Side-Apparation.

"Yes, we should leave, but I feel like I failed." Rapunzel looked up at Eugene mournfully. "I needed to show Mother what kind of man Pitch really-"

Eugene let go of her arm. "You're not going to convince your mother not to side with Pitch on this. It's pointless, ok?"

"It's not pointless!" Rapunzel shrieked, stomping her foot. "How dare you? Pitch is… he's almost like evil! _My_ mother is not like that!"

"You don't need to be evil to side with evil! You just need to be manipulated! Believe me! I know what it's like!"

Rapunzel froze. "You're a dark wizard?"

"Yeah, how about no. I considered it when I was fifteen, but I realized I couldn't ever get away with it. Nah, I'm not a dark wizard. I'm a benevolent wizard but a pretty bad masqueraded Muggle. And why? Because I got manipulated."

"By whom?"

"That's just it. No one. It was like circumstantial manipulation."

Rapunzel's stomach felt like it dropped out of the tower when Eugene got philosophical like this. "How-?"

"It doesn't make sense until you experience it. It's dark, lonely, and horrid. Absolutely horrid. Anyone is susceptible to it. The only way to escape it is by friends. I know you and Hiccup got annoyed by me, and Merida despised me, but in the end, it was being close friends with Jack that freed me."

"That's why you got involved with those Stabbington Brothers when you left Hogwarts. You wanted friends."

"Friendship is the corniest crap in the world. It seems to be the moral of every story, the sugary ending of every fairytale. But trust me, what's really underrated is the absence of friendship. Loneliness. Solitude. And seeking to settle it in the wrong way."

"Would that mean leaving my mother behind is what's making her side with Pitch?" Rapunzel squeaked. "It's my fault because I wouldn't come home when she asked me to?"

"Oh, no, Rapunzel, I'm not saying that at all!" Eugene took a step closer and his eyebrows furrowed together as he searched into her eyes. "For starters, you are the daughter. She's the mother. You shouldn't have to be supervising her and guiding her decisions. Nothing's your fault. And excuse me for saying so; her story's fishy. I've heard of very few dark wizards who admire Dementors. But I've never heard of a Squib that found Dementors… I've never even comprehended it. No overprotective Squib would ever want to protect her witch daughter with Dementors. It's all wrong. Squibs may not be able to do magic, but they're very well-educated in the magical world."

"So it really is imperative to leave? Safer?"

"Rapunzel, you need to get away from your mother. I keep trying to make light jokes to steer you in that direction, but something's all wrong here." He held Rapunzel's arm. They Apparated to the pub of thugs and possibly, hopefully, benevolent wizards.

* * *

Jack shook his head. "Sir, I can't take this money. Besides, we're leaving Corona this afternoon anyway. I can't, Sir."

"I insist! Take it! And some fresh milk!" The old man folded Jack's hand around the top of the sack of coins. "Besides, if you go into one of the neighboring kingdoms, I'm sure they would have some foreign currency exchange station. And call me Papa."

Jack shook his head. Arguing was futile. "You're one of the greatest men I've ever met. You've done so much for my friends and me. And we've found… nothing. Nothing about Eugene, and nothing about that Gothel lady we were searching for."

"It's ok, sonny. You'll find her. And don't beat yourself up looking for Eugene. I just want you to keep your eyes peeled if your going to be on the run searching, anyways." The old man's eyes glassed over as he recounted the physique and image of the good-natured yet unfortunate Eugene Fitzherbert and his heart of gold. "And his favorite book was _The Tales of Finnegan Rider_; he would read a story to the boys every night. Even made up some of his own! Wonderful stories… I think they were a form of fantasy escapism, you know? Going to that reformatory school for seven years… why wouldn't you make up some story about a school of magic and wizards, broomsticks and wands, and the fair young lady with the long golden hair?"

Jack's world flipped upside down. He felt the room drop twenty degrees, and Papa shivered in front of him, befuddled at the sudden temperature drop. Jack gripped his staff and tried to control his powers. Through gritted teeth: "What?"

"Yes! Eugene's original legends about Finnegan Rider as teenage boy!"

Jack tried to keep his breathing under control. "Why don't you tell me more about the stories? They sound interesting. It might help me find Eugene. I don't have to meet Merida and Hiccup for a while."

"Oh, the stories were absolutely charming! Eugene renamed Finnegan 'Flynn'; he thought the name was more youthful. Flynn Rider went to this wizarding school called… Pig Warts? Snout- Hogwarts! That's right! There were four houses, and young Flynn was in a house called Slytherin, the house filled with students who were all cunning, determined, adventurous leaders! He played this magical sport called Quidditch on broomsticks and took classes in things like brewing potions and fighting evil wizards! And he always tried to charm the golden-haired Rapunzel, who spurned his advances! Right before Eugene left for his seventh and final year of reformatory school, he promised the boys at the orphanage that he'd tell them if Flynn Rider finally gets the girl in the end. And he never came back."

Flynn Rider? The same name as the thief who stole the Lost Princess's tiara? How could Papa, who knew all about Corona, not know where Flynn was? Jack shook his head, coming to the conclusion that the thievery must've been kept a secret from the Muggle villagers. But more importantly, Flynn had been that serious about Rapunzel. That was absolutely wrong. Jack had the urge to hit his "friend" over the head with a frying pan. "I'll keep an eye out for him, sir. I should get going." Sweet orphan boy Eugene Fitzherbert was Flynn Rider? Oh, Jack was going to give Flynn hell about that name. And Jack was going to give him hell about leaving the nice old man he called Papa. And Jack was going to give him hell for sharing these stories with Muggles and making Rapunzel his love interest. It was beyond wrong.

"Of course! Have a safe journey!" Papa happily waved Jack out the door. Jack was fuming. And when he left the kingdom to find Merida, Hiccup, and Toothless, he spilled everything.

"An' his name's Eugene?" Merida snickered.

"And he's been trying to make a move on Rapunzel this whole time! I just thought he was being a player and would've treated any girl the way he did Rapunzel, but he actually liked her!"

"How dare he?" Hiccup said dryly. "How dare someone harbor romantic feelings for Rapunzel when she belongs to you?"

Jack Frost froze. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know you didn't. So don't be mad about it." Hiccup double-checked Merida was safely seated behind him on Toothless and began flying. Jack sighed, grabbed his staff, and jumped off the ground to be one with the winds.

"Hiccup's right, Jack. There's somethin' a little more important than Rider crushin' on Rapunzel, too. As if that's worse than Pitch an' Umbridge."

Jack cringed. They'd spent the entire time in Corona without mentioning that idiot, and when Merida threw his name so carelessly, Jack's veins seemed to pulse with ice-cold water. "Well, let's find Rapunzel's mother already. I really hope the Ministry will take a Muggle seriously."

"The Ministry will take the circumstance of a school headmaster and accomplice kidnapping a student seriously, Jack," Hiccup promised. "Whether the student's mother is witch, Squib, or even Muggle. The biggest problem here is finding that tower. It's going to be hard."

"It's a tower in the middle of the woods, man. How hard can it be?" Jack found, after a few futile days, it proved extremely hard. "Guys, we need a better plan."

Merida had grown tired casting _Homenum Revelio_ at the forest below to reveal any human presence. "Do ye think Pitch knew we were goin' to find Rapunzel's mum an' cast a concealment charm on her tower?"

"Hush. We're trying to be optimistic," Hiccup said. "_Homenum Revelio_!" But Hiccup's attempt to cast the charm was just as unsuccessful.

"So, if we're trying to be optimistic, it's very true that we haven't searched the entire forest yet. There's still some ways to go." Jack flew a little lower into the trees and sighed. "It'd be kind of hard to conceal a tower and its inhabitants. Even with strong magic. Hey! Guys! Look!"

Jack realized he got Merida and Hiccup's hopes up and felt a little guilty as they looked down and saw nothing but a lopsided shack hidden by some trees. "Do ye think they'd know where a tower in these woods would be?"

"Well, why not?" Hiccup said. "Jack, why don't you head on down there and ask around? It seems pointless all three of us head down. Besides, I don't know where to land Toothless."

"No, you're right. It's easiest that way. I'll be up soon." Jack spiraled down to the ground and landed in front of the lowly shack. A golden duck was painted on a wood sign, accompanied by the words "The Snuggly Duckling Pub".

He chuckled to himself. However run down, the place looked pretty innocent… was that singing coming from inside? Jack didn't know how to react and stood rooted to the spot until he heard footsteps echoing from behind him. Far away… and they weren't footsteps. They were hooves. And they were getting closer.

Reacting by some inexplicable instinct, Jack jumped up into the air and landed in a tree thirty feet up, balancing on a branch by his toes. Shocked, aghast, and proud of his perfect prima ballerina balance, Jack shook his head and watched the horseman approached. Jack judged they were probably palace guards, because they had knightly armor and strong stallions with luxuriant saddles. They dismounted and stormed into the Snuggly Duckling, and a guy with a thick mustache walked slightly in front. Jack judged this guy was the leader. "Where is he?" the man bellowed as he kicked the door down. "Where's that Rider?"

"Flynn," Jack muttered. And seeing his friend was in trouble, Jack dropped any hard feelings as he narrowed his eyes.

"Ah… not here… false alarm… he's not here… nope…" Jack thought it was just one guy talking, but realized it was multiple people talking back-to-back, all with the same slangy accent. He heard voices after that, but couldn't make out what they were saying until minutes passed and the voices subsided. No one came out of the pub though. When Jack jumped out of the tree, he slowly entered the pub to see a bunch of thugs looking horribly frightened in the direction of an open trapdoor in the floor. The guards must've gone that way. They must've been chasing Flynn.

"Um… who's in charge here?" Jack asked. A guy with a hook hand hobbled over.

His voice was gruff and low. "What do you want?"

"Is Flynn ok?"

"You know the guy? How?"

"We go back. Is he ok?"

"If he can outrun those soldiers. Had a head start. You're not sided with those guards, are you?"

"No." Jack didn't want to just leave Flynn, but he knew there were more important things to talk about than if Flynn had started his thievery again. However, he was tempted to ask: "What happened?"

"Rider's on the most-wanted list of criminals in Corona. Don't know why except for thievery. When he entered out pub, we sent someone out to get the guards because we wanted the reward. But he turned out to be an ok guy, though. Too late, we realized that. The guards came and we told him to go through that trapdoor. The soldiers found it, though. Rider and his friend had a head start, though."

"His… friend?"

"Long blond hair. Beautiful voice."

Jack gasped. He knew his friend was going down a bad path in life, but this couldn't be. Jack whipped out his wand and pointed it at Hook-hand's throat. "Tell me everything you know!"

The guy stared at the wand and laughed. So did everyone else in the pub. "Are you crazy?" some guy with a big nose called out.

So they weren't wizards. Jack couldn't use magic on Muggles. He put his wand away. "Sorry. Just thought you all were super drunk or something. It would've been fun to mess with you." Jack nodded toward the bar, and everyone laughed again. But Jack was boiling with anger. His skin was super hot, especially for being a winter spirit. Actually, it was probably that numb warmth that comes with excessive cold.

"No harm, man." Hook-hand stretched out his real hand and clapped Jack's shoulder. "You're alright, you know that? But what's the wooden staff for?"

"Walking stick. Long story. But what do you know about the blond girl?"

"Ah… did we ever catch her name, fellas?" The others in the pub murmured to themselves. "Well, she said something about Rider being her guide. And… hey, why do you care?"

"Flynn, the blond girl, and I all know each other. Trust me. I'm cool. Was anyone else with them?"

"No; they were alone." Jack was beyond confused. Was it possible that Flynn was Umbridge? No, she was a "woman" in a black cloak. Sided with her? It didn't click. Was he helping Rapunzel escape? How? Why? Nothing made sense. "What were they doing?"

"Why would I know? I'm just working the pub. Though Rider was acting pretty strange, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"Like he was hinting at something. Like a code. I didn't pick up on it."

"What was he saying?"

"I don't know… weird things… it didn't make any sense. It was mainly his tone."

"You're not making any sense."

Hook-hand was obviously getting annoyed. "I'm busy, white boy. Unless there's something I can help you with, I should get back to work."

He had to find Flynn. "Where does that trapdoor let out?"

* * *

"Rider's bad news, I'm tellin' ye!" Merida protested, shouting over the winds as they flew across the woods. She hated to face that he was their best chance of finding Rapunzel. "Why should we trust him?"

"How about: no choice?" Jack growled.

Hiccup sighed and steered Toothless faster. "Jack, I promise you, Flynn's not going to make a move on Rapunzel. Not while you're with her, anyway. And Rapunzel would pick you over Flynn any day."

"Yeah, but Flynn's also a thief," Jack muttered.

"Look, are any o' ye super confused how he got to Rapunzel?" Merida pointed out. "He's either with Pitch, or we're really lucky."

"Guys, can we please go with 'really lucky'? I like it when things work out for us. Besides, we fail at this logic stuff. That's Rapunzel's thing." Hiccup began steering Toothless slightly lower as they got closer to the spot in the forest. "We should just go as things take us. Like stopping at random shacks because our guts tell us to. The whole planning thing, like going to Corona to search for information, just got us milk and money. And a friend. That was cool."

"Agreed," Jack said, obviously still miffed about the circumstance.

Merida sighed. Jack was getting most of the real action. Hiccup was also a big help, flying Toothless and carrying all the equipment in his saddlebags. Merida just won them a room and sat behind Hiccup like an extra piece of luggage. When they landed at the spot the thugs had told Jack of, Merida's Gryffindor adventurism took over. "Why don't ye let me off this time to have o' bit o' the adventure? I'll scope the place out. Jack an' Hiccup, ye can look out."

Hiccup looked uncomfortable letting her go into the darkening night, but he knew better than to argue. "How about Jack is look out? I'll fly above you nearby in case you need a quick get away."

"Sounds good," Merida said. Merida dismounted, happy to be on the ground again. Toothless flew upwards into the sky, but before he got too high, Merida looked up and shouted, "Toss me down the Cloak!"

"Good idea!" As Hiccup undid the saddlebag, Merida was randomly struck with a brilliant, simple idea: for the love of Hogsmeade, why didn't she bring her Firebolt from Quidditch and just fly around on her broomstick instead of making Hiccup tote her around? The thought made Merida homesick, and she began thinking of all the complications of a Quidditch captain abandoning her team… she was startled as the Cloak fell on her head. She hid herself quickly and pulled her wand from her sleeve.

As she walked toward a tree, she saw it was hollowed out, and at the base was a trapdoor with a golden ducky painted on it. That had to be the Snuggly Duckling's exit. Suddenly, it burst open. Merida quickly ran to the side not to get in the way of a bunch of soldiers, palace guards like Jack had described.

"He had to have gone through this door!" One muttered.

"There wasn't any other trapdoor or secret pathway in that tunnel," another said.

"The only way he could've gone is out here," a third noted

More began chiming in all at once. "Silence! What if he's nearby?"

"Of course there was another secret pathway we missed. Rider turned that corner, and when we turned that corner, he was gone! Do you have a better explanation?"

"Wasn't he running with someone else? That girl with long blond hair?"

"Yeah! Who was she?"

"Maybe an escape artist or another criminal."

Merida shook her head. So Rapunzel was with that Rider. If Rider had been telling the truth a while back when he said he broke his wand… Rapunzel must be the only one with a wand. She must've Apparated. And Rider Side-Apparated. If Rapunzel had the wand, she was the one in control. That meant she'd only keep Rider along if he was good… if he was helping her. Very possibly, it was because he knew the area. So Rapunzel escaped, somewhere along the way met Flynn Rider, and the two teamed up. Merida refused to ponder why. She'd just ask Rapunzel when she found her. But where was she? Rapunzel's Apparation wasn't helping the search.

"We can't retrace our steps. That's pointless."

"We should call it a night. Should we just wait until Rider makes another appearance?"

"There needs to be a 'Wanted' alert for the blond girl."

"Hey! She might not be a criminal! She might be kidnapped!"

"Or naïve and foolish. Keeping the robbery a secret is a bad decision! People just know that Rider's a thief, but nothing about the crown! The blond girl might just be super ignorant. He could've wooed her or something. Human shield to take along, you know? We can't shoot him down with bow and arrow if he's got a maiden running with him."

Rapunzel could be naïve, but she knew about the crown, and she most certainly couldn't be fooled. Merida just kept listening, walking with the guards. She hoped Hiccup knew that she'd be walking with the soldiers and following their colorful plumed helmets through the dark night. She looked up in the sky. She had to really, really search, but she could see a certain area of the night sky blacker than the rest. That had to bee Toothless.

"Am I the only one who was wondering why her hair was so long?"

"Don't worry about it. Girls do crazy things to their image and change themselves just to stand out and get attention."

"Yeah. My daughter at home loves growing her hair super long because all the other girls at school are jealous. Then again, that blond girl's hair had to be seventy feet!"

"I'd braid it if I were her."

Rapunzel's hair wasn't braided? She mustn't have had the time.

"Well? Think like a thief. Where would Rider go?"

"A hide-out. One we've been searching for and never found!"

"I agree. It's late. Let's call it a night and wait for him to make another appearance someplace else!"

"It's a walk back to the kingdom. Should we set up camp?"

"Nah. We're men. We can make it back."

Merida shook her head in disgust. Muggle security was simply incompetent.

"We should search some more! The Lost Princess's birthday is in a few days! How happy would the king and queen be if we arrested a fugitive for the event?"

"That wouldn't make an abductee's parents any happier, unless he's related to the Lost Princess's kidnapping. Which he's obviously not. He couldn't have been older than five at the time!"

"Maybe his family is responsible!"

"What family? We've done background checks and nothing!"

"And you all make fun of my conspiracy."

"No, we don't; it's just not likely that a crook would take a pseudonym! The whole reason for thievery, besides luxury, is fame! Why give it to a name and person that doesn't exist?"

"So we can't track him down as easily. Maybe you're right, chap."

"Oh, come on! Not another fine man going towards team conspiracy!"

Merida was dying of boredom. Eavesdropping on wizards' conversations always left her confused and pondering the meaning for days. Listening to Muggles' conversations was disappointing. She could solve all their petty problems by whipping off her little cloak and just telling them a few simple words.

Merida had zoned out of the conversation and tuned back in just to here them talking about egg breakfasts. This was absolutely pointless. Why was it when Merida went on adventures, nothing happened?

She heard a rustling in the trees behind her. She turned around and saw a black-cloaked figure sulking through the darkness. Obviously, it didn't notice her. Merida stopped. Was it that lady in the black cloak? Merida whipped off her Cloak so Hiccup could see her. He seemed utterly confused that she stopped following the soldiers. She pointed back to the direction of the tunnel exit and walked in that direction, putting the Cloak back on. Hopefully, in that short time, the lady in the black cloak- if that really was her- didn't notice, and Merida looked up to reassure Hiccup followed her in the new direction. She was set.

The woman approached the trapdoor, looking back. At first, Merida thought the lady was looking at her, but then Merida remembered she was invisible. She turned to see what the lady was watching, which turned out to be the soldiers, walking farther and farther away. Merida turned back to the woman and tried to see the face through the black hood. She couldn't quite make it out, but she could see beyond the hood was a frizzy mass of ebony curls. The woman opened the trapdoor, peered inside, and closed it gently, cursing.

Merida tried to piece some things together. The woman in the black cloak- Umbridge, as Merida decided to simply call her- lost Rapunzel. Rapunzel had her wand. Rapunzel was with Rider. Umbridge may or may not know that. Umbridge is a Squib and has no magical way to find Rapunzel. Umbridge wasn't a real threat until she got Pitch involved. Merida twirled her wand between her fingers. Was magic necessary here? If that really indeed was Umbridge… yes. Merida had great intuition. It was Umbridge. But if magic was necessary, to what extent should Merida use it?

When the woman's back was turned, Merida whispered, "_Stupefy_!" The woman fell forward on her face, unconscious. Merida approached the woman and turned her over, getting a good look at her face. It was timeless. There was no judging age. Black curls waved from her face. The curved cheekbones had a haughty air. Underneath the cloak, she wore a scarlet dress.

Merida didn't recognize the woman. Not one bit.

Merida then examined Umbridge's cloak. There was a pouch of Floo Power… could Squibs use Floo Powder? Merida made the assumption. The woman also had a basket of food, which had been dropped when Merida hit her with the Stunning Spell. Looking through the basket, Merida saw fruits, breads, and cheeses. Even a knife was burrowed underneath the food to cut the fruit, probably.

Was this really Umbridge? She jumped as Hiccup landed Toothless a few feet away and Jack landed next to him. Merida whipped off the Cloak of Invisibility and tossed it to Hiccup to put away. "What do ye think? Umbridge?"

Hiccup's eyes widened. "I remember… from the beginning of the year… do you guys remember that talk I had with Pitch about Dementors? They day after he told everyone Jack was a Muggle-born?"

Jack flinched. "He's such a jerk. Not that it bothered me."

"O' course not," Merida supplied. "Didn't ye run into some woman?"

Hiccup shuddered. "Yeah. That's her. That's Umbridge in her non-polyjuice potion self. I still don't think that's her name though."

"For simplicity's sake, we'll make it so," Jack said, stabbing his staff in the ground. He leaned into it coolly. "Now what do we do?"

"She's probably contacted Pitch that she lost Rapunzel," Hiccup said.

"Hell no," Jack sniggered. "That would mean admitting she made a mistake. Pitch probably told her that we three have run away from Hogwarts and she thinks that we're responsible, but she's not going to tell Pitch that."

"So she's not a threat," Merida said with relief.

"Why wouldn't she be? She kidnapped Rapunzel! Probably used her hair! I'd hope she's too selfish of a jerk to share her secret, but… you're not saying she's not a threat because Umbridge is a Squib, are you?"

Merida felt guilty. "I'm sayin' it 'cause she's not Pitch. Pitch is way more dangerous. Ye know that. It's always better if he's out o' the picture."

"Merida's right," Hiccup said to Jack. Then he turned to Merida. "But Jack's also right. Umbridge is still a threat. I have a feeling she's the brain, the level head, the schemer. Even though Pitch is the one with all the power… this woman might be a serious manipulator. If Pitch would dare side with a Squib, she's got to be pretty good. And by good, I mean evil."

"Yeah, yeah, we know what you mean," Jack muttered. "So, what? We stay here until she comes to?"

"_Incarcerous_," Merida muttered, and Umbridge was bound with thick robe conjured from nowhere. "Why not? We have a dragon. She'll talk."


	23. Debriefing & Despair

"No, seriously," Hiccup said, shaking his head. "Just because you don't need sleep doesn't mean you don't need a break. Besides…" He looked up at the sky. "It's probably about five in the morning. I can be awake now. I'll take watch and you can… go fly. Be with your thoughts. Take your mind off of the situation. Seriously, Jack!"

"Oh, fine!" Jack surrendered, stabbing his wand into his sweater pocket. "Does the stunning spell work longer on Squibs or something?" he muttered, kicking the limp, yet alive, body of Umbridge.

"Why not?" Hiccup sighed, shrugging lightly. "Well? Are you going to take a break or what?"

"Yeah, but I'm not going to fly. That's exhausting," Jack said, slumping down next to Toothless, who was also wide-awake. "I'm probably going to close my eyes and nap. I can't sleep, but I can definitely zone out of the world for a while."

Hiccup smiled. That was just what Jack needed. Nodding to convey affirmation, Hiccup turned around to face the woman, who'd opened her malicious eyes. "Holy sh-!" Clumsily, Hiccup stammered backwards and tripped in the leaves, falling on his butt.

"Honestly," Jack said, after seeing Umbridge was awake. "Can't I just get a break? No? Well, fine." Jack lazily brandished his wand with such coolness that Hiccup knew if he were on the other end of that wand, he'd be deathly frightened. Hiccup shook Merida awake as Jack said, with a bored tone, "So, who are you, anyways? Umbridge isn't your real name, huh?"

The woman with the black curls smiled wickedly. "Jackson Frost."

"Seriously? Ok! Someone's been hanging around Pitch for too long." Jack narrowed his eyes and took a step forward, bending lower over the lady bound in rope. He shook his wand ever so slightly in a condescending fashion. "It's Jack. No 'son'. Just Jack. Got it?"

"Jack-_sun_? Ironic, isn't it, since you're of the moon?" Not-Umbridge murmured.

"You need speech therapy. Say it with me: _Jack_."

"Oi!" Merida called. "She's not sayin' it. Get on with it."

Hiccup decided to let Merida and Jack play the roles of the fearless, conquering teenagers as he took sudden interest in adjusting the saddle on Toothless, hoping the dragon made him look tough. He wasn't watching the lady, but regardless, he heard the conversation loud and clear.

"Ok! Fine! So, I'm Jack. That's Merida. That's Hiccup. Who are you?"

"It's not fine manners to keep a lady bound like this, don't you think?" the woman's slow low voice drawled. "You're not intimidated by me, are you? Can't handle my great-"

"Oh, shut it!" Merida clipped. "We know yer only a Squib."

"Then why is there a wand in my cloak?" the woman's voice lulled.

"We searched your cloak. There wasn't a wand in there," Jack said, sounding bored. Then, he started laughing. "What's wrong? You look like you saw a ghost!"

Hiccup turned to see the woman's face go from hysterical to deadly. "You're lying," she hissed. "Where. Is. My. Wand?"

Jack sighed, opened his mouth, and then changed his mind. "We took it." Hiccup was utterly confused until Jack added, "Now, if you'll just answer our questions…"

"Yes!" Hiccup said, speaking for the first time. He chastised himself and tried not to shrink away. He approached Not-Umbridge. "What's your name?"

"Why would you care?"

"We ask the questions first," Merida sniffed. "What's yer name?"

"I don't have to answer children. Besides, what are you going to do, anyways? Torture me? Kill me? You're powerless."

"So are you without your wand," Jack said. He walked over to the saddlebags and pulled out Hiccup's wand. "This is it, isn't it?"

"Yes!" the woman hissed, proving she was a Squib, as she knew everything about the magic world and nothing about "her own wand". Merida snorted, but the woman didn't notice. Hiccup realized for the first time how similar his wand was to Rapunzel's.

"Ok. Answer my questions. Hiccup, would you hold the lady's wand for me?" Jack tossed Hiccup's own yew-wood wand to him. Hiccup nodded.

"Ye little wench," Merida sniffed, pacing towards the woman. "Ye tell us what yer doin' with our Rapunzel. Now."

The woman's eyes beat back and forth around the crew, trying to piece something together. "Do you know who I am?"

"No!" Hiccup screamed. "What part of 'what's your name' isn't going through that frizzy poor excuse for a head?"

Jack was carefully observing the woman, trying to find out how to get around this. "Of course we know for the most part. You're the woman in the black cloak. You've been traipsing around Hogwarts with Pitch trying to kidnap Rapunzel because… it'll benefit you. And…" Jack sneezed, but Hiccup could tell when his best friend was sneezing or fake sneezing to buy time in order to think things through.

"Bless ye," Merida said offhandedly.

"Thanks," Jack said, rubbing his nose and clearing his throat. "And you killed a Muggle and infiltrated the school as a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher after Pitch killed Professor Dumbledore for the powerful post and the Elder Wand. You took on the name Umbridge. You… disappeared at the same time as Rapunzel and Pitch told us Rapunzel went home, but that's a load of bull. We've been able to track you down. And unless you lead us to where you're hiding Rapunzel, you're screwed."

"Wow," the lady in black muttered. "You do know a lot."

"Ok. We told you what we know," Jack said, shrugging lightly. "Tell us your name and what you know."

"Oh, but I already knew all that!" Not-Umbridge laughed. "Giving me information I already knew! I might as well say, 'Oh, you, little redhead, you're going to be queen of DunBroch; and you, with the dorky Viking helmet, are going to be tribe leader of Berk; and you, Jackson, are going to be a nobody. You're dead. And lonely.'"

Jack passed his wand from his right hand to left hand and tossed his staff into his dominant hand, slashing it through the air at the lady bound in ropes. "Jack! Calm down!" Merida screamed. As the bright blue light died down, frost spread like a wedding train over the woman's black hair, and her lips, fingers, and toes looked a little blue.

"Now," Jack scowled, "I want you to answer me. Where is Rapunzel?"

"Rapunzel's at my house," the woman chattered despite herself. "But good luck finding it. I won't go home until I've shaken you off my tail. Then I'll take her far away so you can never find her. How does that sound?"

"Unrealistic," Hiccup snorted. "Why doesn't Rapunzel just escape?"

"I'm manipulative," the woman purred. "See how I got your little friend Jackson to put on a little show of his powers without even asking him? I do the same with little Rapunzel. Keeping me isn't going to help you find her, you know."

Hiccup looked at Merida as the woman talked, half-hearing her. Didn't Merida say the guards saw Rapunzel running with Flynn? Merida seemed to be processing this bit as well and silently communicated the fact to Jack, who had put his wand in his front pocket and twisted the staff idly, trying to think his way out of this. "You'll lead us to her if we let you go?"

"Certainly," the woman obviously lied.

"Get on the dragon," Jack said to Merida and Hiccup. Hiccup realized that the woman would be expecting Rapunzel's wand back, and Hiccup had to be ready to make a getaway. He and Merida quickly saddled Toothless, and Jack said, "One more question."

The woman rolled her eyes. "And what is that?"

"What's Pitch's plan? Utilize the Dementors to destroy anyone who tries to take Rapunzel from you? There's something deeper. We're not stupid. My girlfriend isn't anything more to you and Pitch than a side dish."

"He prefers to be called 'Pitch Black', if you haven't heard. 'Nightmare King', if you wish to get professional."

Jack turned to Merida and Hiccup, spreading his arms helplessly. "He could at least come up with better epithets!" He turned once more to face the woman with the black curls. "What does this have to do with the Dementors?"

"Pitch Black has rid the world of Dementors, if you must know." The woman tossed her head lightly and smiled. "What's wrong with that?"

"You lied to me," Jack sighed. "And we lied to you. We don't have your wand. That actually belongs to Hiccup. You never had a wand on you when we got here. We know you are a Squib and you can't convince us otherwise. And Rapunzel's on the run. Thought you ought to know." Jack whipped his wand from his sweater pocket, made a quick slashing motion, and jumped into the air to fly away, storing the wand safely back in his sweatshirt, leaving "Umbridge" unbound and confused. Toothless took off and followed close behind until they flew side-by-side.

"Why did ye tell her Rapunzel's loose?" Merida screeched. "Are ye crazy? It seemed like she didn't know until you told her. Now she's goin' to be searchin'."

"No, it's reverse-reverse psychology. She's convinced we have her wand, hopefully, because she's too prideful to think Rapunzel took it and has escaped. She's going to think we've made this all up in hopes that she'll run back to her home to check and see Rapunzel really is there safe and sound and we just followed her to rescue her."

"Jack!" Hiccup screamed. "No one thinks that complexly! She's probably going to completely trust you!"

"Why would she? Why would we give her any useful information if she's not even going to say her name and taunt us with Pitch's new titles? I swear; I've never heard something more nauseating and narcissistic at the same time. 'Pitch Black'? 'Nightmare King'? And no more Dementors? Oh, that's code for something only Rapunzel could figure out, and Umbridge knows that."

"We're back to calling her that?" Hiccup clarified.

"That or Ms. Pitch."

"Umbridge," Hiccup and Merida said at once.

"But how does yer little game help us?" Merida asked.

"Well, Umbridge is going anywhere but home in fear of leading us there. That should buy us more time to find Rapunzel before Umbridge gets home and sees good guys don't tell lies. She's not going to think we're off finding Rapunzel, right?"

Hiccup shook his head, trying to keep up. "Um… ok… but how are we going to find Rapunzel?"

"She's with Flynn," Jack said. "The castle guards are experts at tracking Flynn. Didn't you say so, Merida?"

She inhaled sharply. "Honestly, they're not the brightest. But, yeah, they spend their time doin' nothin' else. Their world revolves around Rider."

"We keep an eye on the guards," Jack said. "They find Flynn. We find Flynn. We find Rapunzel."

"But Rapunzel and Flynn keep escaping with Rapunzel's wand and magic," Hiccup said. "How do we find them then?"

"And why haven't they just Apparated somewhere closer to Hogwarts? I know you can't Apparate in Hogwarts, but you can go to Hogsmeade or somewhere closer. Why haven't they already? Why were they at the Snuggly Duckling?" Jack sighed. "A lot of things don't make sense."

"The Festival o' the Floating Lights!" Merida exclaimed after a long silence, smacking Hiccup on the shoulder. "They're on her birthday an' she's never gotten to see 'em in person! Maybe she's doin' that?"

"What?" Hiccup asked in confusion, and Merida explained everything. "So we're flying back to the kingdom now?" Hiccup chuckled.

Jack sighed. "I remember Rapunzel telling me stories about those lights… but would she really just stop in the middle of a life-threatening escape to watch them? She's smarter than that."

"It's a dream o' hers to see 'em!" Merida protested. "Are ye sayin' that's foolish?"

"No…" Jack searched for the right words.

"I can see her doing that," Hiccup said. "It sounds like something you could achieve some philosophical enlightenment from watching, huh?" Hiccup chuckled weakly. "Besides, if that festival is in the city Flynn grew up in, he'd be the perfect guide. No wonder she'd stick with him."

"March fourteenth," Jack muttered. "Only a few more days."

Hiccup recognized the date as her birthday. "We have that long to search the crowded kingdom of Corona, which is probably going to be even more crowded because of the tourists who see the floating lights, and we can't search by air because people are literally going to be releasing floating fire into the sky. Plus, they might see us."

"Gee, ye don't say?" Merida sniffed. "An' if she's really with that Rider, they're goin' to be hidin'… from Umbridge, from the palace guards, an' unwittingly, from us, too. Let's waste no time."

* * *

Rapunzel played with the flowers braided into her hair by young village girls as she waited in the canoe in the middle of the lake. She stared expectantly into the darkened cobalt sky, waiting for the lights to fly up, illuminating the cloudless night. Even the full moon seemed to have a yellowish tint that night, as if putting on the façade of a floating lantern. "Why?" she asked, suddenly.

"Huh?" Eugene turned around in the canoe to face her.

"Why do they do these lights on my birthday? Obviously, it's not for my birthday. Is this an old kingdom tradition?"

"I used to thing it was a silly old story, growing up with it, but it's a tradition. Just not that old at all." Eugene Fitzherbert smiled softly in the way that made Rapunzel's shoulders slump slightly. "Eighteen years ago, the king and queen had a daughter. The queen and the princess almost died; their survival was a miracle. When the baby girl was born, they released a floating lantern in the sky for celebration. Later that night, some psycho kidnapped the princess. So, every year on her birthday, the king and queen, along with all their subjects, release lanterns into the sky, hoping she'll come home. One day."

Rapunzel frowned. "That's horribly sad. But if it's the princess's eighteenth birthday and she hasn't made it home yet…"

"It's grown to be a tradition symbolic for hope, family, home, and love." Eugene looked away at that last one and played with a splintered piece of wood on the canoes edge. "The glowing lanterns mean something different for everyone. Some see it as releasing old baggage, burden, and guilt from the past year. Others see it as giving off a light of hope, foreshadowing that one day you'll fly with the lantern, too."

"That's beautiful," she murmured, starring into the dark sky. After a while, she spoke again. "Eugene?"

"Blondie?" he chuckled. Then, he saw her face. "You okay, Rapunzel?"

"I'm terrified." She breathed in smoothly. "When I was a little girl, I would stare out my window, dreaming what it would be like to watch those lanterns leap out into the sky and dance among the stars. It's been my dream. One I'd given up on. But I've learned never to give up on dreams, because we're always led to what we are, what we're meant to be. But what if it's not everything I wanted it to be?"

"It will be," he said simply, his voice softening in that rare way it hardly ever did.

"And then what? What if it is?"

"That's the best part," he said, winking playfully. "You get to find a new dream."

_My new dream_, she chanted as she closed her eyes, even though her first dream hadn't been yet fulfilled. _My new dream is Jack. One day, we'll be together. When I get back to Hogwarts, I swear I'll…_

She looked up into the moon, and Shakespeare poured into her mind. "Oh, swear not by the moon, the inconsistent moon," nobody's voice chanted rhythmically. Rapunzel couldn't help but smile to herself. The moon _was_ consistent. It was always there. It was how the sun and earth was in position and perspective of it, respectfully, that dictated if man saw the silvery glow by night. Even though you didn't see it all the time, that didn't mean it wasn't there. It was always there. Rapunzel swore by the moon.

Suddenly, she saw something glistening from her peripheral vision. Something golden. It was warm, so real, and bright. She looked up and saw a lone lantern trekking higher into the sky, being taken by winds from the east.

A mass multitude followed from the kingdom and from the ships all around, lights lifting from every man, woman, and child of Corona. Caught up in the magic, Rapunzel believed the princess would one day come home. She believed there was always hope. She knew what family really was. She knew it was home. She knew love.

Eugene called her name, and Rapunzel turned around to see two bright lanterns, one in each of his strong, sturdy hands. His face was solemn and somewhat eerie in the glow. "Releasing old baggage?" she whispered softly.

"And I expect you're raising tribute to the future of great things to come," he said slowly, blinking his dark eyes. His chiseled face looked sunken, and Rapunzel placed a hand on his cheek.

"We're raising tribute to the future of great things to come," she said. Eugene smiled, and she took one of the lanterns. They locked eyes and lifted the floating lights up into the sky. Rapunzel couldn't keep herself from staring all around her at the beautiful lights. It didn't seem entirely natural, but there it was. The water reflected so it appeared that she and Eugene were floating together in one beautiful starry sky.

She glanced over at him, and he was equally transfixed into the gleaming, glowing night. His muscular shoulders heaved up and down with emotive breaths, and enigmatic shadows danced in his warm eyes. Eugene chewed his lip nervously, and the muscles along his jaw tightened. Rapunzel had spent weeks with this man, from talking endlessly in her bedroom to adventuring around the woods. They'd bickered on the insignificant matters and related on the deepest elements rooting into the very cause of mankind's existence.

They'd spent this day, her birthday, dancing, touring libraries, eating cupcakes, braiding hair, making friends, reading atlases, hiding from guards, window shopping…

"Are you ok?" Eugene asked again.

"Hmm?"

"You're staring at me funny. Did I do something?"

Rapunzel smiled weakly. "Yes. Everything. You gave me all this." She gestured into the sky. "You were a friend to me when I was alone. You stepped up to guide me home when I was oppressed. You made me see the harsh reality, but you also gave me the newer, fresher revelation of life. I… see. You know what I mean?"

He smiled gently. "I'm starting to."

She blushed and looked away, confused but exuberant. He put his arm around her shoulders and held her in a platonically loving way, and Rapunzel felt that she would be safe. They watched the lanterns fly higher into the sky, and within half an hour, the lights were mere spots gliding away in the distance. "Well," Eugene sighed. "Now what?"

Rapunzel pulled her wand from her dress sleeve and twisted it in between her fingers. "I guess we Apparate to Hogwarts."

"You can't-"

"But you can to somewhere in close proximity."

Eugene seemed slightly uneasy, and Rapunzel didn't realize why until he said, "Well, I guess… this is it." He chuckled. "I'm not going back to school. Sorry."

Rapunzel frowned, feeling disappointed and guilty. "Well, you helped me with my dream. It's only fair I help you with yours."

Eugene looked amused. "What's that?"

"To start a new clean life and become a new person."

His eyebrows knitted together before unraveling high onto his forehead. "Sure."

"Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"No. I just have to move to a new city and hope they've never heard of me. There's no way I can move back into Corona. They'd hang me on the spot."

"I'm sure they wouldn't."

"You're too innocent."

"I don't want to just leave you!" Rapunzel explained, exasperated. "That's horrible of me!"

Eugene brushed her hair back. "I'll be fine. You're the one who's going off to fight Pitch and his league of Dementors. Wow, that sounds weirder every time I say it. Are you sure that he-?"

"Yep. I'm pretty sure. Hard to wrap your mind around, huh?"

"Understatement. Here, how about I row you back to the shore? Then… you'll head out."

The boat smoothly shuffled down the lake in silence, and they finally reached a woodsy shoreline opposite of the island kingdom. Rapunzel stepped out of the canoe and Eugene followed her. Sighing, she pulled her wand from her sleeve. "Good-bye?"

"Good-bye," he muttered, rubbing his neck. Rapunzel wanted to give him a sisterly hug, but she was beginning to doubt the innocence insinuated through such a gesture. Rapunzel closed her eyes, ready to Apparate, when a bony hand closed tightly on her wrist. Her eyes fluttered open with confusion. Eugene's hands weren't that harsh or lanky. She saw, inches in front of her.

"Mother!" Rapunzel gasped, pulling away. But Mother Gothel's grip was too strong. "What are you doing here?"

"Finding you," she hissed.

"How?" Rapunzel cried, looking over her mother's shoulder at Eugene. He was gone… no, wait, he was sitting on the ground… "Eugene!" she cried, as he clutched his stomach. Blood spurted from a wound only inches above his navel. He coughed up more of the syrupy scarlet liquid. She tried to run to him, but her mother held her tight.

Mother Gothel chuckled. "I stopped at a restaurant for something to eat. Is that a sin? There was… 'pub gossip', if you will, that a gorgeous lady with impossibly long blond hair was on the run with the most wanted thief of the kingdom." Her laugh was sickening and thick as blood. "I figured you would only come to see those floating lights you'd be drawling on and on and on about ever since you were a naïve oblivious young girl… and as you haven't changed much, I only assumed… no matter."

Rapunzel tried to process everything. "So you stabbed him?" she screamed, surprised her mother hadn't confiscated the wand.

"Don't worry. He won't be in pain much longer," a male's high-pitched voice slurred through the trees. Rapunzel turned to see Pitch Black emerging from the shadows.

"Mother!" Rapunzel screamed. "He's evil! He's working with Dementors!"

"No," Pitch Black murmured nonchalantly. "I actually got rid of every last Dementor. They're non-existent anymore. Thanks to me. But there might be something else you want to know." Pitch Black pulled a pitch-black wand from his robes: a long, fifteen-inch stick with a rounded grip and spherical indentions.

Like a black version of the pearly white Elder Wand. But not a version. It was.

Tears streamed down Rapunzel's face. Her mother was evil. The realization was torture in itself. Even more unbearable was the fact that Eugene was dying right in front of her, when she could heal him. "You can use my hair!" Rapunzel shrieked, finally shaking from her mother's grip. "You can use my hair! But only if you let me heal him!" She pointed down to Eugene, whose breath sounded like rocks and boulders grinding down a gravelly cliff. His head perked up at this, but his eyes were half-closed, and Rapunzel could see a fog clouding over them. Whatever was going on, he didn't follow.

"Silly girl," Pitch Black chuckled, twisting the Elder Wand. "I don't need your hair to stay immortal. I am. If you'd let me finish speaking about why I got rid of the Dementors, you might know a thing or too."

"I'll listen!" Her throat was getting strained and rough from all the yelling as Rapunzel slowly backed to Eugene. "Let me heal him!"

"Oh," Mother Gothel flipped her had casually, and Rapunzel saw a bloody knife shimmering in the womanly grasp. "Go ahead."

Rapunzel sang the song, and Pitch Black looked at her greedily. When she finished, Mother Gothel nodded. "Experiment time!" Pitch Black giggled. Eugene and Rapunzel stood up quickly, and Mother Gothel yanked Rapunzel's wand away before she could use it. Pitch placed a hand inappropriately onto Rapunzel's chest, shoving her out of the way like some object or a toy left out after playtime. Pitch's stormy gray hand gripped Eugene's face, and both opened their mouths- Pitch by choice and Eugene by force. Some kind of an airy film passed between the two, from Eugene's open mouth into Pitch's. It reminded Rapunzel of a Dementor's Kiss. Her gut twisted, and she may have as well been stabbed with that rusty dagger.

Pitch Black dropped Eugene Fitzherbert's lifeless body onto the ground. "You're a smart little Ravenclaw," Pitch crooned. "What happened?" She refused to give him the pleasure of answering. "Well, there are no more Dementors because I am all the Dementors. With the power of the Elder Wand here…" Pitch shook the wand tauntingly. "I have absorbed the essence of a Dementor. All of them, actually. I take away hope, light, joy, wonder, dreams, and the happiest memories even… and I give fear. Despair. Self-hatred. Depression. Agony. Pain. Anxiety. Even the Dementor's Kiss. The power all belongs to me."

"You're evil!" Rapunzel screamed louder than ever before, watching the empty shell of existence she used to call Eugene.

"There is no such thing as good and evil. Only power. Those who acknowledge power and utilize it versus those who fear. Now, this is the part where you come in. See, I thought I'd need you to sustain my life, but it appears you're utterly useless in that regard. See, I want to experiment. I quite enjoy playing, don't you? I want to see to what extent your hair can heal. Does that include a Dementor's Kiss?"

Rapunzel had no choice but to prove him right or wrong. She had to do anything that could bring Eugene back. She knelt on the ground and piled her hair on his chest, cradling his head. As she muttered the words, singing the melody in between gasps, shudders, and quivers, Rapunzel watched the full moon above. She half-expected her hair to absorb the silvery glow like it did with Jack at the lake on Christmas night, but her hair remained as sunny as ever. Upon the last word, Eugene's eyes flickered open. "Rapunzel… help…"

"Speak, my boy!" Pitch Black yelled. "What was it like? To be soulless? Empty?"

"I had no soul," Eugene repeated warily. He locked eyes with Pitch. "It felt empty. Like I was nothing."

"Was it dark?"

"Scary. Horrible." Eugene was definitely alive and soulful, but even more certainly tired, exhausted, and terrified. He fainted in Rapunzel's arms.

"Perfect!" Pitch cackled.

"What's going on?" Rapunzel stammered. "I'm- I'm more powerful than you! You shouldn't be laughing! Anyone you kill I can heal!"

"Ah, but you see, I don't want to kill the world. I just want to traumatize them and control them. They'll all fear me. Anyone who disrespects my authority goes through that torture. And you heal them only for them to suffer again. And again. And again. And if you refuse, I'll just leave them there to die, empty shells. You'd be a greater villain than me if you didn't sacrifice your life for the life of others!"

Rapunzel shuddered. "Jack will stop you," she growled, holding Eugene's unconscious body closer. "He will destroy you."

"Don't worry. I'm a big boy. I can handle myself. Now, wait here. And don't leave," Pitch sneered.

"Where are you going?" Rapunzel growled.

"Nowhere important. Just to kill your parents," Mother Gothel said, examining her nails as if she'd just said, "Oh, Pitch is going out to the market to buy some bread. Do you prefer white or wheat?"

Rapunzel felt faint. "Mother…"

"Goodness, when are you going to catch on? I'm a Squib. You're a witch. But that doesn't mean that I am your mother! For goodness sake!"

Mixed emotions welled inside. Rapunzel was relieved not to be betrayed by her own flesh and blood, related to a murderous psychopath in league with a man who believed in devouring souls. But there was an entire new level of betrayal and abuse eating Rapunzel's heart away. "What?"

"You were born to a pure-blood wizard and a Muggle-born witch, the great king and queen of the kingdom of Corona!" Gothel explained in a kindergarten teacher's tone. "The queen was sick while she was pregnant with you. She sent out the soldiers to find a magical flower. The same flower I used for centuries to keep myself alive. They stole my flower from me. So the night you were born, I stole it back. Are you piecing it together now? Ravenclaw. Sure."

"I'm the Lost Princess?" Rapunzel said, shaking her head. It was the most believable news in the past five minutes, and that was saying a lot. Eugene was stirring in her arms, and she took his head. "I'm the Lost Princess!" He muttered something unintelligible and fainted again. This was the power of Pitch Black's torture, the same torture about to be executed on her parents. "You wouldn't dare," Rapunzel scowled. "Or I'll heal them."

"You so dare try and I'll cut of those wondrous locks and kill your mommy, your daddy, and your little thieving friend." Pitch Black chuckled. "Besides, I'll go ahead and use the killing curse specifically on your parents when I'm done. Can't let the petty impede me!"

"Why are you helping him?" Rapunzel scowled at her m… no, not her mother.

"In return, he eliminates anyone that would keep me from using you. Starting with your parents, of course. We made a deal."

"Yes… but I lie. _Avada Kedavra_!" The green light zoomed from the tip of the death stick, and Gothel lay on the ground to sleep. Surely the woman of a life centuries long couldn't fall that easily. "And, as I saw when you tried to heal Jack's adorable 'Mudblood' scar, your hair can't reverse affects of the Unforgivable Curses, right?"

"Mother?" Rapunzel whispered one last time, crying. Despite the abuse she'd suffered all those years, and the lies, and the fact that Gothel never loved her, Rapunzel didn't want to let her go. _Stockholm Syndrome_, she said to herself. _Don't fall for it._

"So you won't fight me. Good," Pitch said, spreading his hands diplomatically. He glided over to Gothel's corpse and pulled Rapunzel's wand from Gothel's still clenched fist. Rapunzel rested Eugene's body gently on the ground and stood up, taking a few steps closer to the murderer. "And you're going to need your wand, darling. I'm going to need to train you in the Cruciatus Curse." He tossed her the golden, slim wand, which, despite her incoordination, Rapunzel caught without giving a thought.

She turned to look at Eugene. "No."

"Of course I won't hurt him! He's my leverage, you see. I won't hurt him if you do what I say! Simple." Pitch Black smiled wickedly.

"So… we'll leave him here?"

"He'll wake. I'm… pretty sure." Pitch looked genuinely perplexed on the matter, but didn't care to hide it. He shrugged, showing he genuinely didn't really give a single, solitary centigram of a care in the world. "The young man will be safest here. Honestly, darling, if we're going to be working together, you're going to have to learn to trust me. Besides, now that you know everything, what good would it do for me to lie to you?"

"Obviously some good," Rapunzel said, making a random guess. "You're still doing it. Not about… Flynn," she said, forcing herself to use his self-given moniker. "But you are lying to me. About… oh, you know what." She shook her head despicably, hoping she looked convincing.

Pitch stopped and thought for a while. "Hmm… oh, I- wait, no, I told you all about that… and you were under the Cloak of Invisibility when it was stolen, right? So you heard what I had to say back there… besides, I don't need that silly old thing anymore since I can become one with darkness… oh! Here's something you don't know. Your friends are looking for you. That's how Gothel here _really _found out you'd escaped your tower. They told her. Must've slipped; I don't know the story. She told me, we came down to capture you once and for all, trapping you with knowledge instead of ignorance, all that philosophical stuff… anyways I have no idea what's become of your friends, but they're looking for you. But they won't find you. I'm darkness. I radiate darkness. That can associate itself with 'lost-ness', if you will. Any way they could possibly track you- or your tower; I'd taken precautions- will just make you look lost. You are of no location. Untraceable. As am I. But, not to stray from your accusation, you do know everything now. Oh, and there's that confusing prophecy. I have no idea what it implies. So you enlighten me. After all, I've shared everything with you. Honestly." The worst part was Rapunzel had a knack for identifying lies. This wasn't one.

She took a deep breath and tears rolled down her cheeks. Was doing the noble thing serving Pitch to keep others alive, or standing against him and dying for it but allowing others to die? _I'm sorry_, she thought to herself over and over again. _Merida, Hiccup, I'm sorry. Jack. I'm so, so sorry_. "You won't get away with this."

"Says who?"

"Says me, you monster!" a deep voice bellowed behind Rapunzel. She turned around and saw a flying white-haired boy point a six-foot wooden staff that radiated a blue light which swept Pitch off his feet. "That's for my girlfriend," Jack Frost scowled.


	24. Assemble, Amputate, & Archery

As Pitch struggled to his feet, Jack heard a rustling behind him and assumed Hiccup had landed Toothless. He looked to the ground and saw two motionless bodies. "He's fine," Rapunzel said quickly, pointing a finger at Flynn. She then pointed to the second figure, the woman who had been disguised as Umbridge. "That's my… I thought she was my mother. She sold me out to Pitch and was disguised at the school as Umbridge. When Pitch was done using her, he killed her. Oh, and my real parents are the king and queen of this kingdom and my hair possesses the power to reverse the affects of a Dementor's Kiss. Pitch absorbed all the Dementors in his own being, so good news is there are no Dementors, just him. Bad news, he has all their powers. He goes by the name Pitch Black and has the Elder Wand and his evilness turned it pitch-black."

Jack didn't have time for an explanation. He shook his head in confusion and scooped Rapunzel up for a quick yet passionate kiss. "You're ok."

"Jackson Frost!" Pitch- rather, Pitch Black… nah. Jack decided just to call him plain ole "Pitch" out of disrespect. The wicked man didn't deserve a title. "So good to see you joined my party!"

Merida and Hiccup, having dismounted, were running to Jack and Rapunzel. Hiccup kept his wand at ready position, and Merida had her bow and arrow ready with her wand at easy access. "This isn't a party," Jack growled. "We're here to fight you."

"You can't fight fear, Jack!" _Hey, he called me by my real name_, Jack thought, before stirring back to reality as Pitch screamed, "_Avada Kedavra_!"

A green light hit him square in the chest and Jack flew back, hitting the ground hard. Then he stood up. Jack didn't understand what the hell was going on, but painted some snobbish know-it-all expression across his face. "You can't kill me."

"You can't defeat me!" Pitch snarled, a bit disconcerted but still acknowledging he had the upper hand.

"Oh yeah?" Hiccup snarled. "I have a pet dragon. A Night Fury. Those things are practically Dementor-repellant."

"Adorable," Pitch mocked, "But don't you think I expected that? I've modified the Dementors' powers quite a bit. See? You're little pet is backing away from me in fear!" Jack turned around to see that, sure enough, Toothless was backing away nervously, looking at Hiccup in terror. Jack remembered how the prophecy mentioned Pitch turning everyone against each other. Was it possible Pitch knew that Hiccup cut Toothless's tail and was conjuring this memory to keep the dragon at bay? When Pitch continued talking, Jack had a feeling he'd assumed correctly. "It's quite easy to get in his mind… now yours." Pitch pointed the black Elder Wand at Hiccup. No light sprung forth. No power hummed through the dark silent night.

Suddenly, Hiccup's knees hit the ground, and he clutched his head, screaming. "Stop it!" he howled, leaning forward until his forehead pressed into the ground. "Stop it, stop it, stop it!"

"Ye li'l' glaikit goon! I'll skelp that gallus keek off yer face, ye mockit screwball! Dinnae ye in a hunner years think ye can hurt Hiccup!" Jack had never heard Merida revert to her native colloquialism and was beyond confused, but he could still read the emotion behind her words loud and clear. She pointed her wand at Pitch and, shaking with anger, shouted, _"Expecto Patronum_!"

The silver bear flew from the tip and charged at Pitch, who took his wand away from Hiccup. Hiccup coughed and collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face. Rapunzel got down to heal him, but Hiccup pushed her away and insisted she didn't waste her strength, only accepting help to sit up. Meanwhile, Pitch slashed his wand through the air, and the Patronus dissolved. "You can't use _those_ against me, you brave, fiery Gryffindor! Be more original, darling!"

"_Expelliarmus_!" Merida shouted, in an attempt to disarm Pitch. A red light that almost matched the cherry-wood wand streaked towards Pitch, but he barely tipped the Elder Wand upward. The rubicund light streaked back towards Merida, absorbed her wand, and caused it to shatter into multiple different pieces.

"I don't have time for this," Pitch sighed, and he Disapparated.

"He's going to kill my parents!" Rapunzel screamed.

"Isn't… your mother…?" Hiccup fought for breath and clutched his stomach, picking up his Viking helmet off the dirt, as it had fallen off. "On the ground dead over there?"

"An' is that Rider?" Merida muttered, wiping tears from her face as she gathered the broken pieces of wand off the ground.

Rapunzel explained everything she'd experienced and knew in great detail, and Jack, in turn, explained everything they knew, which wasn't much at all compared to Rapunzel. "But Pitch is going to kill your real parents now?" he asked, feeling like the biggest failure of a boyfriend.

Rapunzel shuddered. "I'm hoping he's just disappeared somewhere and hopes that we'll _think_ he's at the palace in Corona, so we'll Apparate there and not find him. But really he's hiding from you, Jack, because hopefully he's afraid of you."

Jack wrinkled his nose. "He should be. I swear before everyone and everything and my entire existence that I'm going to kill that jerk for what he did to you."

"You can't. Kill him, I mean. Just like how the Killing Curse couldn't kill you. You both are immortal." Rapunzel smiled innocently. "But defeating him would be nice."

And in the next second, Jack found himself passionately making out with Rapunzel. He had a lot of lost time to catch up on. He felt his eyes misting and tears streaming down his cheeks, except they weren't his own tears. Jack was so close to Rapunzel that her tears were the ones moistening his flesh and releasing the accumulated agony and stress. Her tiny hands clutched the front of his baggy hoodie fiercely, and he combed her hair back out of the way. Jack hated to admit it, but this probably wasn't the best time to make out with the girlfriend he's lost for the past few weeks. Jack pushed away gently, breathing heavily. "Right," Rapunzel muttered, still clutching his hoodie tightly. "Not now."

"Later," he promised, realizing for the first time how awkwardly low his hands were on her body. He moved his hands up to the front pocket of his hoodie and she began absentmindedly braiding a random section of her hair. Jack began walking briskly over to Hiccup and Merida, and Rapunzel followed. "Are you guys ok?"

Merida was speaking softly to Hiccup, who looked like he was crying about something. Merida blushed and frowned as the two approached. "Pitch just really knows how to get in yer head. But it's all lies. It's just to manipulate ye. Isn't that right, guys?"

Rapunzel picked up on the hint. "Oh, yeah. Seriously. Pitch is the most malicious, conniving demon you'll meet. His words are unjustifiable, only meant for destruction."

"Yeah," Jack said. "He's stupid." That sounded absolutely horrible compared to Rapunzel's large and comforting words.

Hiccup brushed some posttraumatic tears away. "Half the reason I'm crying is because it's so embarrassing to be crying in front of you guys in the first place over some stupid words."

"Words aren't stupid," Rapunzel said. "Take it from a Ravenclaw. People, however, can be absolute stupid idiots. I think Jack really was dead on with what he said. Pitch is stupid."

Merida clutched Hiccup's hand. "Ye see?" She sighed and looked into her free hand, which was curled into a tight fist. The splintered pieces of wood were kept safe in her palm. "Now what am I supposed to do?" she moaned, laughing to lighten the mood. But it looked pretty bad.

"You know…" Hiccup said, taking an arrow from Merida's quiver. "I could create something. It sounds silly, but maybe I can take the splinters of your wand and put them into the arrowheads. That way, your bow and arrow can release not only sharp blades but magic as well. And you could maybe magically retrieve your arrows instead of manually. On the Muggle side of engineering, it would be no problem, but from a magic side, would it work?"

Merida blinked. "Only one way to find out. But do we have time?"

"I can finish this in a minute or two. Give me your arrows and the pieces of your wand. All of them. Rapunzel, Jack… search the ground for any remaining splinters or fragments."

Jack looked over at Rapunzel, who immediately got down on hand and knee to search. Then, he turned around to look at Flynn's body, obviously alive, but still looking quite weak. "I should check on Flynn."

Hiccup looked up, concerned. "Yeah. You really should."

Jack ran over to Flynn and crouched down, grabbing Flynn's muscular shoulders to shake him awake. "Flynn! Flynn, man, c'mon!"

Flynn's eyes flickered open. "Help Rapunzel," he moaned, stirring.

"I know," Jack whispered back, still shaking his friend into full consciousness. "I'm helping her. I'm protecting her. Thank-you for doing the same for me." Jack remembered the part of Rapunzel's story where Flynn had been stabbed and inadvertently pressed one of his ice-cold hands against Flynn's stomach. "You're healed?"

"Screw the knife, man." The statement seemed pretty nonchalant, but Flynn's eyes were wild and horrified. "Professor Pitch Black or something-"

"The Dementor's Kiss. I know."

"I want to help you guys. I really do. I'm just going to be some baggage you're going to have to drag along, though." Flynn coughed, and Jack told himself that those little shiny liquid flecks were only saliva. Definitely not blood. It couldn't be blood.

"You don't have a wand. You just got fatally stabbed in the gut. You're the only survivor of a Dementor's Kiss. And I…" Jack honestly didn't know if Flynn was going to make it. "I honestly don't know how long it'll take you to recover."

Flynn pointed to a ditch. "Drag me in there. I can hide in that ditch while I 'recover', as you put it." Flynn tried to laugh to lighten the situation, but more blood- no, no; it had to be saliva- trickled across his lower lip. "Heh. Jack. We always joked about hiding a body together. Heh. Isn't that funny?"

Jack smiled weakly. "We joked about a lot of things didn't we? C'mon, man, you've infiltrated a castle and stolen a crown, survived a knife wound, and had your soul resurrected after being destroyed. You're not going to let fatigue take you down, are you, man?"

"No way." Jack dragged Flynn gently into the ditch and brought some food from Toothless's saddlebags down for rations.

"Don't eat this all at once. Your stomach was a Muggle wound, so I'm sure your digestion system's perfectly fine, thanks to Rapunzel's healing, but I don't know what the Dementor's Kiss did to you. Just be careful."

"Me, be careful? You're going to fight Pitch, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Don't kill yourself, man."

"I'll try my best."

"And don't let Rapunzel get hurt."

"I won't. Don't worry. I'd drown before I'd let anything happen to her."

"Yeah, Rapunzel told me that story… is it true? You're some kind of winter fairy now? Seriously?"

"Jack!" Rapunzel's voice called from above the ditch. "We're ready to find Pitch! Are you coming?" Rhetorical question, Jack assumed. He wouldn't miss whipping Pitch's butt for the world.

"Yeah!" Jack shouted back. He turned to Flynn and shrugged. "Sure. Have it your way. I'm a winter fairy."

"And you still get the girl. System's messed up, bro."

Jack couldn't help but chuckle. He climbed out of the ditch and walked over to Hiccup, Toothless, Merida, and Rapunzel. "So, are we leaving… not-your-mother here?" Jack asked Rapunzel, hoping the question wasn't too blunt or offensive.

"Yeah," Rapunzel said. "Look at her. She's aging before our very eyes without the power of my hair." Jack looked down towards the woman's body and saw gnarled skin and silvery curls instead of dark ebony. "I bet within a few hours, she'll naturally decompose. She's not even supposed to be alive. She's been for centuries. It's not natural." Rapunzel cleared her throat. "Anyways, we should all get going."

"Well," Jack said, sticking his wand securely in his front hoodie pocket. "Hiccup! Is there room for three on Toothless? Or should I just carry Rapunzel? I'm fine with that. It's no trouble."

Merida and Hiccup had already mounted the Night Fury, and both looked back onto the dragon's scaly black back. It was obvious there was more room. "Nah, man, I think you're going to have to carry her," Hiccup said, winking as soon as both of the girls turned their gaze from him to Jack.

"Probably be easiest if I piggyback you," Jack said, turning around so Rapunzel could jump on his back. "Hold on tightly." Her ankles wrapped tightly around his ribcage, and Jack felt the discomfort to be quite gratifying. He leapt into the sky, clutching his staff confidently, with Toothless at his heels.

* * *

"So his essence becomes nothingness, which is why we can't find him?" Jack clarified as they flew through the clouds.

"He's still something, but he disguises himself as nothingness… it's confusing."

"C'mon, Rapunzel," Jack teased. "Ravenclaws know everything!"

"Exactly," she said coolly. "Everything isn't nothingness."

"Me brain hurts," Merida moaned.

"Well, should we fly down to the castle? Warn the guards?" Hiccup urged Toothless to fly a bit faster. "It's not like the king and queen are Muggles."

"Sure, but their guards are," Rapunzel said.

"Maybe," Jack muttered, remembering the milkman in Corona. He reminded Rapunzel about Flynn's/Eugene's orphan days, mentioning that his mother was a random townswoman and his father was a soldier in the royal guard who'd risen through his ranks to be captain. "What if he's a wizard?"

Merida shook her head. "What if the townswoman was a witch instead? What if Rider's Muggle-born? We can't know. Ye sure Pitch hasn't gotten to them yet?"

Rapunzel sighed. "We can't face any other possibility. How did you guys know Pitch didn't just kill me?" Jack's gut twisted, the familiar horror of losing her gnawing at his brain.

"Where is Pitch right now?" Hiccup said, changing the subject for Jack's sake.

Jack could feel Rapunzel tensing on his back. She was probably a little sick of being bombarded with all the questions. "Seriously, now, how did you guys manage while I was gone?" she said with forced laughter.

"It was hard. Really hard," Jack grumbled so only Rapunzel could hear. She held him a little tighter. "C'mon. The palace."

The dark veil of night shielded the town from the stars and brought concealment for Hiccup to land the massive shadowy Night Fury on the red palace roof. "Didn't Flynn steal the tiara by breaking in through the roof?" Hiccup asked as he dismounted.

Jack smiled devilishly, narrowing his eyes with playful guile. "How else are we going to get in to warn the king and queen?"

"Should we use the Cloak o' Invisibility?" Merida asked. "But it would only camouflage two o' us at most."

"Nah. Let's dive in."

"So get the rope?" Hiccup asked, going towards the saddlebags.

"Yeah," Jack said as Hiccup began tying a knot around his waist. "I'll lower all of you down and just float in behind you." Jack turned to Rapunzel. "You ready?"

Rapunzel's face was chalky. "No."

"Honesty's awesome," Jack said, smirking in a way he hoped came across as a little flirty. "We'll be right there with you."

She smiled. "I know." It took a few minutes and a lot of strength, but Jack eventually lowered all three of his friends down.

"Oh! Wait!" Jack said, running over to Toothless. He grabbed the tiara of the Lost Princess, Rapunzel's tiara, from the leather saddlebags and tossed it down to Rapunzel. "It'll make us more… believable."

"Good idea," a voice crooned from behind Jack. Jack was honestly so sick and tired of all this drama that he didn't even jump. Jack just turned around slowly and gave the most annoyed expressions he had ever felt painted clear across his face to Pitch. "After all, you're only children."

"We're of age," Jack scowled. "In the wizarding world and the Muggle world." Technically, Merida was the only one who was still seventeen, but screw that. She was one of the fiercest on their team, anyway. It was funny, how Rapunzel was treated like the youngest and Jack like the oldest when they were really second to those places, respectively. "Seriously, what do you want?"

"I thought I'd made that clear. I want to get threats out of they way. Starting with you." Pitch blasted a wave of darkness at Jack, who flew backwards through the sunroof used to lower the others down into the palace. His staff was tangled in his arms, but his power wasn't channeling through the wood. Thankfully, his friends were prepared to catch him. Jack looked up and through the sunroof and heard Pitch say, "Get away from me, you filthy poor excuse for a dragon. Flying around at remarkable speeds, afraid to let anyone outside of your own breed even look at you. Sleeping for only an hour a day, afraid of what could happen to you if you let down your guard for too long. And look what did! A human found you, an arrogant wizard, for that matter, and nearly killed you. He doesn't even care for you. If he did, he'd have let you die. But instead, he healed you for a pet, for a slave. He's just using you, and you know that. Nevertheless, you can't fight back. You're useless without him, anyways. Funny how trusting the wrong people can hurt you, isn't it, my boy?"

Toothless was whining, squealing nearly inaudibly at the top of his throat. Hiccup was shaking with fury beside Jack. Gripping his staff firmly in one hand, Jack wrapped his free arm around Hiccup and shot through the air, carrying Hiccup up to the roof to face Pitch. Jack heard Hiccup screaming profanities and spells, shouting reassurance to Toothless, and altogether causing one of the most emotionally dramatic scenes ever, displaying a perfect balance of love and hate. Jack leaned over the sunroof. "Go!" he shouted down to Merida and Rapunzel. "Find them! Warn them!"

Pitch laughed. "Your dragon isn't even helping you, my boy! He understands. He's learning. He knows what kind of a person you really are. You're just using him."

"He's not _my_ dragon! I'm _his_ human!" Hiccup slashed his wand through the air. "If anything, I belong to him! I owe him everything I've become! We're practically the same being now!"

"Not technically," Pitch mused. Jack drew his wand and began charging towards the fight, but Pitch and Hiccup were too engrossed in combat. How could Jack cast a spell without hurting Hiccup by mistake? "For starters, you have a left foot. It doesn't have a left tail wing. Don't worry. I'll fix that." And in a singsong voice, Pitch daintily balanced on one foot and tipped the Elder Wand towards Hiccup. "_Sectumsempra_!"

* * *

"No!" Jack bellowed, slicing his wand through the air. He didn't even think of a spell while conducting the motion, so he might have as well been waving a branch at Pitch. Jack stored the wand in his front pocket, becoming sick of lugging that thing around. Instead, he found himself, by instinct, holding his staff by both hands as far away from his body as possible, pointing straight up and down, parallel to him. Yelling bloody murder, Jack suddenly found himself enveloped in an ice-blue wave of light, like a force field. The light sprung from his chest and pummeled forward at the speed of, well, light, hitting Pitch directly in the chest and knocking him off the roof.

Jack knew that didn't kill Pitch, but he couldn't help himself. He ran over to his best friend, screaming his name. Jack jerked his head back. "Toothless! Help!"

The Night Fury bounded in a single leap across the roof to where Hiccup was lying in a pool of crimson blood. "No, no, no, oh Merlin, no. No!" Jack screamed up at the sky. He cursed, pounding a fist into the pool. "I'm going to kill you! You hear me, Pitch? I'm going to kill you!"

"Jack…" Hiccup said, coughing lightly. "I'm fine."

"Fine?" Jack screamed, taking this much worse. He looked down at Hiccup's left leg. About halfway down his shin, his leg just stopped and was a bloody stub. Jack relayed the damage.

"Well, at least it's not an internal organ," Hiccup moaned. "I wish I could've been more help."

"No. You're going to be fine. You're not going to…" Jack couldn't force the d-word. "You're fine. I promise."

"I'm not going to be on my feet fighting. Err, foot." Hiccup began chuckling lightly. "I can build a prosthetic. Hey, Toothless, now we're Twinkies!" To Jack's horror, Hiccup's chuckles evolved into hysterical laughter. "Twinkies! I like Twinkies. Dobby makes great Twinkies."

"Hiccup… the injury's messing with your head. Your brain's not straight. Hiccup! Stop laughing. Your heart's pumping too much blood. Toothless, what are you doing?" Toothless had laid down next to Hiccup and wrapped his black sleek wings around the body of the most loyal Hufflepuff Jack had ever met. Jack stared straight into those yellow dragon's eyes. "You're healing him?"

Toothless's ears flattened. Jack tried to read the dragon's expressions the way Hiccup could, but it just wasn't as easy as it looked. "You're preserving his life. He'll live, but it won't bring back his leg?" Toothless nodded.

Jack walked across the roof and picked up Hiccup's Viking helmet. It had fallen off Hiccup's head when Pitch chopped off the leg. Jack slid it into the super-protected saddlebag with the Stone, the Cloak, and the prophecy. Jack's head jerked up with an idea. He recalled the line: _Cutting his foundation will give him flight_. Pitch cut Hiccup's foundation, his leg. Somehow, that was going to help Hiccup. Jack searched some of the saddlebags on Toothless, remembering Hiccup's idea of a prosthetic. Of course, Hiccup didn't pack such materials. Just when he gave up, Jack pulled the Viking helmet back out the back. Dumbledore gave it to Hiccup for when he'd need it most…

"Jack?" Hiccup said, looking down at his leg. Blood had stopped spurting from the wound and had rounded off to a fleshy stump. "It hurts."

"I know, man, I know."

"No, you really don't. Where's Pitch?"

"I don't know. Tell me if he jumps up behind me. Now listen." Jack thrust the helmet towards Hiccup. "I know this is so insensitive, but you've got to build your prosthetic. Like, now."

Hiccup looked from the helmet in his hands to Jack. "How-?"

"Build the prosthetic, secure it to Toothless, adjust the saddle so your prosthetic can control his, and fly. The prophecy! '_Cutting his foundation will give him flight_'."

Hiccup was able to sit up, wincing with much pain and effort. "Ok. But how is the helmet going to help?"

"Professor Dumbledore enchanted it. He's responsible for the gift."

Hiccup shook his head. "How am I still supposed to use a helmet to build a fake leg? I need tools!" At those final three words, a golden light engulfed the helmet, and what else but tools began falling into his lap.

"How did Professor Dumbledore even know?" Jack asked, tugging at his hoodie. He then remembered that it was a gift from Dumbledore, too. What would it do? Looking around, Jack began to get uneasy. If Pitch hadn't returned to the rooftop, he was headed elsewhere. No doubt he knew how to get to the bedroom window of the king and queen's bedchamber. "I feel so insensitive, but you've got to build yourself that leg."

Hiccup cupped the stump, flinching as his fingers grazed the wound. "Yeah. I'll need it sooner or later. Why not now?"

"And you'll be able to operate the saddle?"

"Maybe. Like, forty-seven percent chance?"

"That's a joke."

"Sure. Look, I'll build this leg as fast as I can and Toothless will keep me safe. But you need to go. Find Pitch. Warn the girls. Help protect Rapunzel's parents. Stretch the truth and tell Merida I'm perfectly fine."

Jack nodded. He hated leaving Hiccup behind, but did he have a choice? "Toothless. Take care of him." A new loyalty and ferocity flashed in Toothless's eyes, and Jack knew he was leaving Hiccup in good hands- rather, good wings.

Jack hurled himself off the roof as a breeze from the north blew him to the right of castle. Feeling the familiar winds lick his hair back, Jack arched his back to turn with the walls of the castle, hoping to find some kind of a bedroom window that would, by all luck, belong to the king and queen.

Suddenly, a light flickered on in a window low below Jack. He stopped his flight and free fell a couple feet, his feet landing on the windowsill. He saw a man standing by his bed with a candle and a woman who had to be his wife sitting up with confusion in the bed. Jack jumped through the window. "Where's Rapunzel?"

The king nearly dropped his candle, and Jack was thankful for his quick reflexes. "Who in the blazes are-?"

"Don't shout!" Jack hissed at the king, drawing his wand. "Just tell me: have you seen two girls? One with red curly hair and long blond hair?"

The king backed towards his wife, a protective arm outstretched. The queen whispered, "No. Who are you?"

"Jack Frost. Wizard from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I'm a friend of your daughter's."

The king gasped. "That's a lie."

"Look," Jack whispered, blowing out the candle. Jack heard the man sit down on the bed in shock. "Your daughter's in the castle right now. But long story short, so is some guy who wants to kill me and kidnap her who also cut off my best friend's leg and has possession of the Elder Wand. And there are no more Dementors left in the world because he absorbed all their essence and has their power. He has the capability to preform a Dementor's Kiss on you both, which is exactly what he plans on doing."

"This is madness!" the king hissed. "Next you're going to tell me there's a dragon on the roof!"

Jack cringed. "Do you have your wands?"

"Our wands are down in the secret basement with all our other magical relics," The queen's voice quavered, as if she suspected the only reason Jack was here was to steal them all.

"You need to stay here. In your room. Do not, I repeat, do not come out."

"How do we know we can trust you?" the king asked, trying to be protective and tough at the expense of his wife's fear.

Jack had a crazy idea. It would win their trust for sure… but it was the stupidest idea in the world. "Here," Jack said, tossing his wand to the king. "Use my wand to protect yourself. And as a token you can trust me."

"How in the world are you going to protect yourself?" the queen said, no longer afraid, but offended that someone would actually do something so stupid in her presence. Jack smiled. The queen was definitely a Ravenclaw like her daughter.

Jack stamped his staff against the stone floor. "This staff is magical," he explained simply. He was still working on sounding believable. "Not like a wand, but you'd be surprised. Now, whatever you do, do not come out of your room. Stay here. Be quiet. If a man in black comes in, don't even try to kill him. It won't work."

"Then what's the wand for?" the king protested with a loud whisper.

Jack bit his lip. "Any spell that could hinder him, don't be afraid to use. I'll do everything I can to hold him back," Jack said, backing towards the door. "If you see the two girls- the curly redhead and the girl with the long blond hair- tell them you've already spoken with Jack and you understand. Oh, and the blond girl is your daughter."

Jack ran out of the bedroom, wondering if he should stay close to protect the king and queen, or find Merida and Rapunzel, where another fight could very possibly be happening. Jack focused on his gut feeling. The worst decision seemed to be to go find Rapunzel and Merida. Hoping that Pitch was somehow manipulating his mind to believe that was really the worst possible thing to do, Jack went off to go find Rapunzel and Merida. He kept focusing on the worst decisions possible. Up instead of down the stairs. Down the wide corridor instead of the narrow one. Turning left instead of right.

When he collided into Pitch, Jack knew he was right. "Frost!" Pitch snarled, blasting a wave of darkness. Jack slung his staff and deflected the attack.

"Hey! I was just looking for you." Jack rammed his staff into the ground, causing ice to spin across the floor. Pitch fought for balance. "I was _afraid_ you'd left. Would've been a pity. Then, I wouldn't have had the chance to whip your butt. Well, actually, I can't do that now, since you don't have one."

Pitch scowled and thrust multiple waves of darkness from his hands that Jack had to fight to deflect. "You're immature, insensible, cowardly, insecure, foolish, annoyingly jocular, puerile, insubordinate-"

"Man, stop with the big words!" Jack fake-whined. "I left school for a reason! That reason was, like, one-hundred-percent you and your teaching style."

"You mock me?" Pitch sounded utterly offended, shocked, and downright angered. "How dare you!"

Jack laughed and cupped his hand in the air. He felt something moist packaging in his palm and underneath his fingers. Jack had materialized a snowball. He went with it. Throwing the snowball at Pitch, Jack willed the snow to duplicate so two snowballs hurled through the air and each hit Pitch in an eye. "See? You make it too easy."

"You're just playing, Jackson! You want to fight?"

"No. I want to win."

"Oh, and here come your little friends."

Jack turned around to see Merida and Rapunzel sprinting toward him. Just before it was too late, Jack realized it was a bad idea to have his back to Pitch and deflected a nasty looking black arrow from piercing the small of his back. "Where's Hiccup?" Merida asked.

"Ooh! I killed him!" Pitch chanted excitedly.

"Merida, no!" Jack shouted. "Don't believe him! Hiccup's fine; he's alive and ok. Pitch is just manipulating you."

"He's only makin' me more mad!" Merida shouted, drawing her newly engineered magical bow and arrow. Pitch deflected her first two arrows easily.

"Oh, come on! Three against one and I still have the upper hand!"

"_Accio arrows_!" Merida shouted.

Pitch laughed. "You, my redheaded princess, don't have a wand!"

"Yer right. I have multiple o' 'em." Sure enough, the two wands flew back into Merida's quiver, which was slung over her back.

"You put the parts of your wand… into your bow?" Pitch said, distracted. Rapunzel picked this moment to wave her wand, performing a nonverbal spell. Pitch was bound head to toe in rope, but with a yell, his body leaked black oil that ate through the ropes. "Adorable. _Accio Rapunzel_!" Pitch shouted. Jack didn't know if the Summoning Spell could be used on humans, but the Elder Wand had inexplicable powers. Pitch locked an arm around her neck. "Frost! DunBroch! If either of you dare to attack me, I'll give her the Dementor's Kiss. She'll have no soul. But her body will still be in prime condition. I can still use her hair whenever I want. She will be nothing but a _toy_ to me."

Jack's body stiffened. Pitch would use more than her hair. "Let go of her."

"Why would I do that?"

Jack didn't move. He just went back and forth from Rapunzel's gaze to Pitch's. There had to be something Jack could do. Rapunzel had to know something. She had to be trying to communicate some plan. In the moment, it was as if only Jack, Rapunzel, and Pitch existed. Which gave Merida the perfect advantage.

An arrow sprung from Pitch's hand, and he yelped in pain, dropping the Wand. Jack ran towards Pitch and grabbed Rapunzel from his grip, taking Rapunzel to the ground in his momentum. She cursed. "Every time I try to help, I just make things more complicated."

"Rapunzel," Jack warned as they stood up. "He's messing with your head. Don't believe it. You're special. You're important. You're a huge part in defeating him. Whatever you do, don't doubt yourself. Don't doubt Merida or Hiccup. Believe in me."

"I'll always believe in you, Jack. I promise," Rapunzel managed. She and Jack then charged towards Pitch, who was playing tug-of-war with Merida.

"Give me my Wand!" Pitch shouted.

"It's me Wand! I disarmed ye!"

Rapunzel silently ran behind Pitch and poked him in the back, surprising him. Pitch couldn't help but let go of the Wand, and Merida stumbled backwards as the Wand began glowing in her hand. Within a few seconds, the light settled to reveal the pearly white Elder Wand in its pure form and power.

Pitch snarled angrily. "I don't need a wand. I'm about to destroy you all!" Pitch spread his arms, and dark energy surged through his body, ready to envelope them all.

The Patronus didn't work before with a regular wand. Nevertheless Merida dropped her bow and brandished the Elder Wand, shouting, "_Expecto Patronum_!"


	25. Last Fight & Lost Friend

The silver bear glowed brighter than any Patronus Jack had seen, and it bounded toward Pitch, who cast out a shield of darkness. The bear growled and charged straight through, burrowing itself into Pitch's chest. Pitch doubled over, but straightened up quickly. "You still can't defeat me!" he taunted. "You can defend yourselves, you little cowards, but you can't defeat me!"

Jack felt the blue light surge through his body and projected the power towards Pitch, who crashed into the wall, nearly falling out the window. Through the window, Jack caught sight of the full moon and felt his heart swell. The moon had given him power, and Jack felt when it was at its fullest, Jack was at his prime. After all, he was the American Muggle-born of moonlit icy winds. "Is that a challenge, professor?" he taunted. "Do I get bonus points on my Defense Against the Dark Arts NEWTs if I whip your-?"

A wave of darkness hit Jack in the chest, and Jack slammed against the opposite wall. "Jack!" he heard Rapunzel scream angrily. His vision was double and blurry, but he could see the motion of Rapunzel's hair twirling like a beam of liberated sunlight as she attacking Pitch. She dodged his attacks with astounding coordination and knew all the rights spells to encumber and befuddle Pitch in the most beneficial technique. "You're no wizard!" she was shouting as she summoned fire from the tip of her wand. Pitch's coat was singed horribly, and the stench lingered in the air, leaving behind a dramatic smoky stage. "You're an insane, power-hungry, shameful little boy! You use fear as your weapon because deep down, _you're_ afraid. _You're_ the one who feels insecure and you doubt yourself! _You're_ the one who fears rejection and craves acceptance, channeling it through tyranny! Pitch Black, you're nothing but a coward! And that's one thing my hair can't fix, nor can any powerful magic you could ever think off!"

Even during her monologue, Rapunzel was able to cast powerful nonverbal spells. Jack didn't know what they were, because he only saw the motion of her wand, the light bulleting from the tip, and Pitch waving his hand to form a shield of darkness. Merida left Rapunzel as she ran over to Jack's side. "Are ye ok? Jack, ye've got to get up!"

Jack rubbed the back of his head, which had hammered the wall with a sickening clunk. "Yeah," Jack moaned. "The prophecy."

"What?"

"What does the prophecy say that will help us defeat Pitch?"

Merida went through the lines in her head. "Well… the whole stanzas startin' with 'C' told us each o' our parts. '_Cuttin' her life will let her live_. _Cuttin' his foundation will give him flight_. _Cuttin' her wand will let her win_. _Cuttin' his ties will give him pride_." Merida's eyes popped open. "When Pitch 'cut' me wand! That let me 'win' the Elder Wand!"

"Exactly," Jack said, shooting another icy ray from his staff to protect Rapunzel as he and Merida ran forward to rejoin the fight. "And when Pitch cut off Hiccup's leg, that was his 'foundation', which is somehow going to help him fly Toothless."

"Hiccup's leg… cut off?" Merida yelled, twirling the Elder Wand through the air. A bright scarlet light rammed into Pitch's skull, dazing him for moment. "What happened?"

"Pitch used a spell and cut it off. Toothless, as a Night Fury, has some power to keep him from dying, but I don't know how it works." Jack watched with admiration as Rapunzel used her hair like some kind of a lasso and pulled Pitch's feet out from underneath. "I left him on the roof. He's building some prosthetic for his left foot with some of the supplies he brought along, and hopefully he'll be able to alter Toothless's saddle, so they can fly together. Then, they'll find us and help us."

"But he's ok. Ye swear?"

"My life on it," Jack said, pulling Merida down to the ground. They ducked just in time to avoid Pitch's black arrows. The arrows demolished against the back wall, almost like some kind of sand. Confused, Jack helped Merida back up and charged towards Rapunzel.

Rapunzel had seen the arrows were some kind of black sand and shouted, "_Aguamenti_!" The jet of water from her wand doused Pitch, leaving him coughing and leaking black sand. "Gross," Rapunzel muttered.

"Bloody brilliant!" Merida gasped, shooting a smile at Rapunzel. However, Pitch wasn't as lucky, as Merida shot a super sharp and accurate arrow at his…

Jack cringed and crossed his legs. "Good aim," he squeaked, as if Pitch's pain was contagious through his deafening screams. _I'm never getting on her bad side_, Jack thought with a shudder. "But he doesn't really have one to shoot at, so…"

Merida and Rapunzel tossed their heads back with genuine laughter, and Jack couldn't help but join in. After a few seconds, he realized Pitch wasn't even attacking. Jack caught his breath for a moment to see Pitch standing slowly with hands protecting his ears. It was as if laughter was killing Pitch.

Of course. The opposite of fear is fun. Joy, if Jack wanted to get philosophical. Friendship. Being with people you trusted and enjoyed. All fear is only really the absence of such elements. Jack caught Pitch's eye and smiled cunningly. And Pitch understood. "But you can't do anything about it," Pitch whispered. "There will always be fear. Somewhere. Someway. Somebody. Sometime. Somehow. Something with always be, and that something is fear."

The window behind Pitch started getting blacker, darker, and deeper… and suddenly, Toothless halted to a stop at the window, allowing Hiccup to use momentum to charge straight through and tackle Pitch from behind. "You owe me an apology, you mother- Holy Odin!" Hiccup rolled to the side and stood up, wincing loudly as he put the weight even for a slightest second on his leg. But, luckily, the painful motion helped Hiccup avoid being stabbed by Pitch with a sharp, elegant dagger.

"I stole this from the Squib," Pitch crooned. "Don't dare get too close!" The last thing Hiccup needed was to see the shine of a sharpened blade. His knees buckled, but Merida kept him from falling over and supported him on his one good leg. Jack was astounded at the mood change so quickly. He could practically feel the inhalation of a new atmosphere strangling his lungs. "Witches and wizards, aren't you? You couldn't defend yourself against Muggles if you tried! The simplicity, the ignorance of Muggles, I've found, is quite more affective against enemies."

The knife was stained with blood, and as Pitch swung it teasingly, it wafted a smell of iron down the corridor. "It's a knife," Jack said, clenching his fists. "What are you going to do? Stab us? You get any closer and we'll destroy you."

"Harsh," Pitch muttered, walking closer to Rapunzel. She took a step back, but Pitch grabbed her wrist and held the knife against her throat. "Well? Get on with it. The part where you audaciously destroy me."

Scarlet beads lined in a row along the blade. Rapunzel gasped painfully as Pitch gently moved the knife side-to-side. "Stop," Jack growled, pointing his spear threateningly at Pitch.

"The staff, Jack!" Pitch snarled. "Hand it over! And I'll let her go."

"No," Rapunzel said, her eyes wide. "Jack, don't-"

Jack remembered the night on the lake, when he had just received his powers. Rapunzel had tried using the power of the staff, and nothing had happened. The staff's and Jack's power were connected. Pitch couldn't use it. But Jack didn't have his wand. He was powerless.

Blood began staining the white lace neckline of Rapunzel's dress. Jack walked over to Pitch, his bare feet freezing the ground below him. Jack extended the staff. Pitch took it, smiling evilly. "Idiot," Pitch laughed.

"Let her go," Jack said, reaching towards Rapunzel. Pitch extended Jack's staff, and the most powerful wave of darkness Pitch had emitted surged through the wood, blasting Jack across the corridor. He landed on the floor with a hard thud.

"The staff doesn't have the power over winter, Jack. You do. But you can't control the cold without channeling your power through this!" Pitch shook the staff maliciously. "Anyone with a supernatural power can use this staff to channel their abilities and make them stronger than imaginable." The knife was still against Rapunzel's neck, at Pitch turned to her, laughing. "Put your hand on the staff."

Rapunzel's tiny hand curled around where Jack's had once been. Merida suddenly whispered, "Jack, get behind me. Support Hiccup an' get behind me." Jack stood up quickly and ran over to Hiccup, helping him hobble behind Merida who brandished the Elder Wand.

"What's going on?" Jack whispered.

Hiccup turned to Jack mournfully. "If I'm right…"

"Sing, darling. Sing your beautiful little melody for me." Pitch cackled.

"I-" Rapunzel was choking. "I can't if you're cutting into my throat. Please. I'll sing. Just take the knife away."

Hiccup was breathing shallowly. "It can't work," he whispered.

"Hiccup, you're scaring me."

"You don't understand. It can't."

"I've told you, Hiccup, I hate it when you get dramatic." Jack's mind flashed to conversation they'd had at the beginning of the year when Hiccup was going to library in search of a book that may mention a Night Fury. Jack had made the same complaint. But how different the circumstances.

Pitch had lowered the knife accommodatingly, placing it next to her fingers. "Did you know fingers are as easy to break as a carrot? You so dare mess up the lyrics and-"

"_Flower, gleam and glow_," Rapunzel started, shaking wildly. "_Let your power shine_." From the roots of her hair, the golden light flowed along her hair, which was drooped down her shoulders. Some hair had stuck to the bloody cut on her neck, causing the healing powers to reseal the wound. "_Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine_."

"Come on," Pitch whispered, staring at the staff he and Rapunzel held together. As Rapunzel continued the lyrics, something strange happened. A golden light twirled down the wooden staff, and darkness seeped from Pitch's own palm, mixing together to form a gold-and-black glow. The powers hummed off-key with Rapunzel's voice. As she finished the last lyric, Pitch yanked the staff from her palm, laughing. He slammed it against the ground, and the black mist spread over the room.

Suddenly, Jack collapsed onto the ground, along with Merida and Hiccup. Merida had been caught in the middle of an uncompleted Patronus incantation, and Jack felt that familiar depression from the Hogwarts train, the first day of their last year. The Dementor had hovered over Jack, drank his soul…

For an eternity, there was nothing. Jack was horrified.

Suddenly, Jack's eyes flew open, and a golden light escaped from his mouth. He looked around and saw the same thing happening to Merida and Hiccup. "See?" Pitch laughed. "I channel the Dementor's Kiss through the staff! The flower's healing powers are channeled as well. I can torture you over and over and over again just by slamming this staff on the ground!"

Jack looked at the staff in horror, seeing that a golden light still mixed with the staff. Rapunzel didn't need to sing the song for Pitch ever again. He had the power.

Rapunzel held up a strand of her long hair and quietly sang a line or two quickly. She watched her hair light up and frowned. Jack looked on in confusion, helping Hiccup up. Pitch had her power, but not all of it. It was still Rapunzel's power. Which meant she controlled it. Rapunzel bit her lip, and Jack could tell she was thinking hard. He could see an idea flashing before her eyes.

Merida stood up weakly, shaking the Elder Wand threateningly. "Ye don't dare."

"What are you going to do about it?" Pitch said in a bored tone. Jack looked at Rapunzel, who mouthed, _Keep him distracted_. Tears were steaming under her eyes. Something was wrong. Jack didn't know what else to do but trust the girl he loved more than anything in the world.

"Don't you get it?" Jack said, forcing a laugh. "You walked right into our trap now! You've answered every last question we've had about the prophecy. We know how to defeat you!" Lie, lie, lie, total lie. The lie was so big, Merida nearly snorted, and Hiccup was fighting to keep from laughing. "Don't you understand?" Jack struggled for a line from the prophecy. "When it says… _Definite victory ensue by breaking them_!"

"What are you saying, boy?" Pitch said, the tone starting as a soft snarl but mutating into an echoing roar.

Jack spread his hands. Technically, in context of the prophecy, that was mentioning how Pitch could defeat them, the next final line of that stanza explaining, _Doing so by manipulating_, implying Pitch was to turn them against one another. But Jack twisted the meaning. "Obviously, it's symbolic! All prophecies are! You're not stupid enough to be looking at this physically, are you? The metaphysical, Pitch!"

Pitch's eyes widened then narrowed. "You're not saying… why, you ignorant boy, there's no way!"

"Oh! But there is!" Jack said, not knowing what that way was. Rapunzel needed to act quickly, whatever her plan was. "The number one way you'd think it wouldn't work… it's going to go down like that. And we're going to whip your-"

Rapunzel grabbed the knife from Pitch's hand suddenly, and Pitch, surprised, couldn't do anything about it. Crying, Rapunzel locked eyes with Jack. "I'm sorry," she whispered, and Jack realized what she was doing. Jack remembered the short talk they'd had long ago in the halls of Hogwarts. Jack was an immortal teenager, stuck at his age. Rapunzel, with the power of her hair, was stuck as a teenager, never growing older. They could outlive the world with their immortality. At least, Jack could. Rapunzel only could live forever if she kept her hair. Without her hair, Rapunzel would grow old and die. But with her hair, Pitch could take over the world. Would cutting it all off destroy all of its power in the staff?

Pitch froze, his eyes wide with… fear. "Don't you dare," Pitch warned. "Or I'll-"

"Dementor's Kiss?" Rapunzel guessed, holding the knife against her locks. "Combining our powers was a bad decision, Pitch. If I cut my hair, no more healing abilities for me or for that staff. Any remnant of my power will be gone. As for you, if I destroy my power, which is tied to yours, you're going down with me." Rapunzel narrowed her eyes. "You aren't immortal. You combined your soul with the Dementors, which was a stupid move. You don't have immortality. Like a Dementor, you're 'amortal'. There is no life. You are just a vessel, a shell for fear and despair. But if I cut my hair, I will take a part of that away. I'll destroy all the Dementors once and for all. You won't be able to perform a Dementor's Kiss. You'll still have your powers of fear and darkness, but they'll be weak. You'll be weak. And you'll have to 'live' forever with that. And if you didn't know… well, I'm telling you now. Take it as a lesson." Rapunzel was shaking. "You can never combine good with bad. You can't mix them for your own practice. Because everything will come crashing down."

Rapunzel and Jack locked eyes once more. Both had salty tears blazing pathways along their faces. "I love you," Rapunzel whispered.

"I love you," Jack said back, his voice cracking. "And I always will. I'll always be there." _But you won't be_, Jack thought. Pitch's arrows could never as powerful as the pain piercing his chest.

Pitch lunged forward in a desperate attempt to stop her, but it was futile. Rapunzel tugged the knife through her hair, and suddenly, she became a brunette. Just like her mother and father whom Jack had met only minutes before. "_Cutting her life will let her live_," Rapunzel quoted the prophecy, and Jack understood. The gold-and-black glow of the staff shone brightly and then disappeared suddenly. Pitch was defeated. Or, at least, his Dementors were.

Jack went through lines of the prophecy. _Cutting her life will let her live_- Rapunzel. _Cutting his foundation will give him flight_- Hiccup._ Cutting her wand will let her win_- Merida._ Cutting his ties will give him pride_- that had to be Jack.

Cutting his ties… did that mean cutting his ties from all his friends? Every last one of them would grow old and leave him forever. How in the world was that to give him pride?

Pitch screamed and took the staff, now powerless in anyone's hands except Jack's, and snapped it over his leg. Jack doubled over, screaming. "If I'm going down, you're going down with me!" Pitch shouted, shuffling both parts of the staff under his left arm. Pitch charged forward grabbed Jack by the throat. Jack was confused. Pitch's body was slowly growing more transparent, and his grip was getting softer, as if it wasn't even there. But the muscles in Pitch's fingers were still tight. Pitch began backing toward a window and jumped out, holding Jack's neck tightly.

* * *

Jack landed on the ground first, cushioning Pitch's fall. Pitch stood up and tossed the broken parts of the staff down to him. "What the hell was that?" Jack screamed. "Some little temper tantrum? And you've got the gall to be mocking us, calling us the immature young children!"

"Allow me to enlighten you," Pitch snarled as he got off of Jack.

Jack stood up and brushed the grass from his clothes. The two had landed in the middle of what appeared to be the palace garden. It was eerie, shadowy, and perfect for a confrontation with a villain. "Enlightenment from darkness," Jack scoffed. "Perfect."

"When your blond little friend cut her hair and destroyed my power, she broke… a contract, let's put it that way. Not one I've signed or ever agreed to. It's the eldest laws of nature and magic."

"Awesome."

"You're sarcasm isn't going to help you, so I don't see why you stick at," Pitch said with a shrug. "But this affects you, and it's wise you listen closely."

"Ok. Fine. I'll be quiet. Five minutes sound good?"

"Fairly. See, combining my essence with the Dementors… your blond friend got that right. But see, I did more than that. I killed myself already. In the middle of the Forbidden Forest, I performed the Killing Curse on myself, but with a twist. Not only did I absorb the powers of the Dementors by doing so, but I also made myself a spirit. What do you know about spirits, Jack?"

Once a teacher, always a teacher. Was this really an appropriate setting for classroom participation? Jack was getting antsy, like this was all really important information, so he played along with Pitch. "They were once humans and now they're dead. They have supernatural powers. We're spirits?"

"Yes and no. Spirits are invisible. When I died, I took on nearly every attribute of a Dementor. Now that the Dementors are no more, I'm merely a spirit of fear, but I cannot utilize this as actual power. I can no longer perform a Dementor's Kiss. I can no longer stir up images and hallucinations in people's mind. Oh, I can manipulate all I want, and I can read into people's greatest fears, but that's it now that I'm not one with the Dementors. Now, Jack, listen closely. What power does a Dementor have that a spirit doesn't?"

Jack sighed, looking down at the ground where Pitch had broken Jack's staff. Jack forced himself to look Pitch in the eye, in his cruel, golden eyes. "Dementors… wear black cloaks like you do. I don't know."

"No, Jack, but you actually nearly understood!" Pitch taunted. "But seriously, the answer I was looking for was very close. The difference is you can see Dementors. That's why I could be seen. That's why I could be heard and felt." Jack remembered how Pitch had pushed him out the window, and how Jack was losing sight, hearing, and feeling of Pitch's essence. "Without the Dementors, I am now a spirit. Now you're already dead. Am I right?"

"I drowned."

"Right, right you did. And on the same night, in fact. I was at the lake."

"You killed yourself. On Christmas Night."

"I thought it had a fairly dramatic level, don't you think?"

"Ok, yes. But… what does this have to do with anything?"

"The Dementors attacked you right before you saved the blond girl."

"Rapunzel."

"Don't interrupt."

"I apologize. But it would be easier for you just call her 'Rapunzel' instead of 'blond girl', don't you think?"

"Fair enough. Your Patronus warded them off. But they weren't attacking you. They were coming because I called them as I was dead, invisible, inaudible, et cetera."

"How did you call them?"

"Complicated. Would dark magic suffice as an explanation?" Jack just nodded and went with it. "Perfect. Well, you prolonged my 'absorbing of their powers', if you will, with your Patronus. But when you pulled Rapunzel off the cracking ice, putting yourself in her place, the ice shattered underneath you, causing two dead wizards to be in the Forbidden Forest, less than a hundred meters away from one another. So, when I did my complicated dark magic, absorbing the powers of the Dementors into a dead wizard body… Honestly, Jackson, I don't understand the entire magic behind it. I absorbed all the powers of the Dementors. But something in my spell interfered with the magic of the moon. You died, Jackson. Rapunzel's hair did absolutely nothing. The moonlight brought you back to life as a spirit, acknowledging your selflessness. It does that sometimes for heroes. Rarely, nonetheless, but still."

"So… when Rapunzel sang her healing song that night, her hair glowed silver like the moon. What was that about?"

"Imagine two children racing to a finish line. The stronger one shoves the other to the ground. The second kid's 'running powers' are 'blocked'. The first wins the race."

"So, the moon blocked Rapunzel's power… furthermore, channeled through her… and turned me into an immortal spirit."

"Precisely," Pitch said, clapping. "This would've caused you to become invisible, inaudible, untouchable, like I was. But like I said, my magic interfered. The magic that bound me to the Dementors and kept me able to be seen, heard, and felt latched onto you, for some reason. You should have Dementor powers, too. I wondered why for the longest time why you didn't. But your… little hoodie… the embroidery isn't just silver-threaded frost designs. Dumbledore cast a complex Patronus charm on that hoodie that kept the Dementors from latching onto you." Pitch shrugged, but Jack was shocked. First with the helmet, now with Jack's hoodie; Dumbledore's providence saved them all. "When I connected my power to Rapunzel's hair, I connected part of yours. The part that kept you seen, heard, and felt by other people. When she cut her hair and destroyed her power, she destroyed that power in both of us. No one can see us. No one can hear us. No one can feel us. Now, as I have some of my powers, you still have some of yours. However, I broke your staff just to be rude… so you're technically powerless. That's all to it, really."

Jack was horrified. Not spending an eternity with Rapunzel was horrible, but being able to be at her side until she died would suffice. But now? Rapunzel would never see, hear, or feel him again. He'd never hold her hand; never kiss her again; never take her flying or feel her warm embrace again. "But of course, there's still a way they can see us," Jack said, his eyes stinging with tears.

"One way. In order for someone to see either of us, you, for example, he or she has to believe you are here. He/she would have to believe you're alive. However, they all saw you fall to your death from a window, so good luck."

"They know I can't die."

"They know I can't, either, but they saw me fading as I strangled you. Jackson, you were fading as well, didn't you know that? And I made my last words, 'you're going down with me!' They probably think I channeled my defeated power into you, and by breaking your stick, broke you as well."

"Stick?" Jack fumed. "It's my staff. And they know I'm alive."

"Whatever," Pitch muttered. "Well, this is goodbye." Pitch walked into a shadow, became one with the darkness, and disappeared. Jack walked over to the two broken fragments of the staff and twisted them in his hands. He shook his head, thinking through the prophecy:

_American Muggle-born of moonlit icy winds_

_Along with the bright healer, the beast-tamer, and the bold archer_

_Against darkness and fear, against lies and manipulation_

_Absolute victory shalt ensue _

The first part obviously meant that Jack, along with Rapunzel, Hiccup, and Merida, would fight Pitch. One would win. There was no tie.

_Best the enemy and winner shalt take all_

_Bring the flower home and keep the power_

_Beaten by the enemy, the loser will fall_

_Be without company, alone forever_

That meant the winner (which had to be Jack's side) took all… all the Hallows? They had the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility. They brought home the "flower", which had to be Rapunzel. They kept the power… what power? The Hallows? Jack shook his head in disgust. Inanimate objects are referred to as the noble primary cause of the entire battle. But the prophecy went on to say:

_Cutting her life will let her live_

_Cutting his foundation will give him flight_

_Cutting her wand will let her win_

_Cutting his ties will give him pride_

Rapunzel cut her hair, a source of eternal life, which let her live in freedom. Hiccup's leg, when cut, let him fly with Toothless, but Jack had been slightly wrong about that. Hiccup could fly before. Now, any mistrust or doubt Toothless had in his relationship with Hiccup was dispelled. They could "fly" together, freely, for each other, working as a true unit. Merida's old broken wand won her the Elder Wand. And Jack lost a future with Rapunzel. If "pride" didn't mean being happy but knowing he did what was right, no matter how much it pained him, then, by the loosest definition, Jack had "pride".

_Darkness, however, could win against coldness_

_Destroying no life, foundation, or wand_

_Definite victory ensue by breaking them_

_Doing so by manipulating _

This was the side affect clause. If Jack and his friends had lost, Rapunzel would have her hair. Hiccup would have his leg. Merida would have her original cherry-wood wand. Pitch was responsible for his own defeat. However, he'd gotten pretty close to defeating them, utilizing his strengths prescribed in the next two lines. Pitch Black would be able to achieve definite victory by breaking them, turning their backs against one another, feeding thoughts of self-doubt and mistrust. Pitch had easily done this to the dragon. Animals really must be more susceptible to emotion due to their innocence.

_Each house will compete_

_Everyone will see defeat_

_Except only one side shall see victory_

_Eternal life to each leader to see his success or failure_

Jack's friends were all from different houses. Jack, from Slytherin, brought the cunning, strategizing perks to the team. Also, being from the same house as Pitch, could understand how Pitch would work.

Merida was from Gryffindor. She'd been the bravest of the team, ready to take on any challenge thrown at her. She was persistent. She didn't grow flustered at each dead end in trying to solve Pitch's mystery. She was unstoppable and always worked on impulse, which always worked perfectly for her.

Hiccup was the Hufflepuff. He was the strongest in the group. He kept them all together, encouraging and trusting his friends no matter what. He was loyal and always came through when he was needed, understanding how his friends needed him most.

Rapunzel came from Ravenclaw, and she always had the wisdom to prove it. She interpreted the biggest parts of the prophecy, was able to fine-tune Jack's plans to make them work perfectly, and somehow, always suspected what was coming next. She did a lot on her own, and handled it flawlessly.

Everyone saw defeat, sure. Pitch didn't have the powers of the Dementors. Gothel died. Jack lost a lifetime with the girl he loved. Rapunzel sacrificed her hair. Hiccup lost a leg. Merida didn't have her wand anymore. Sure, the Elder Wand was powerful, but that first wand you receive from Ollivander's when you're eleven for your first year at Hogwarts can't be replaced. Nostalgia crippled Jack's brain for a moment.

Of course, only one side saw victory. Sure, Jack and his friends had hard times, but Pitch had nothing to show for it. He was alone forever, with no immortal life, but an "amortal" one, loosely fitting the definition of a spirit. He had no magical powers. Just a petty little spooky game he would play, pranking the world for all eternity, crippled with the memory that he did this to himself. He was the reason for his failure. This was the cost he'd paid. Meanwhile, Jack lived forever as well, to see his success carried out. He had to defend unsuspecting people from Pitch's fear forever.

Jack's biggest fear still gnawed at his heart. What if Pitch wasn't a crazy liar? What if he was dead to his friends, gone for good? Jack held the two broken parts of his staff together and concentrated. "I've got to find them," he muttered. "I've got to tell them I'm ok." _Rapunzel_, he thought, _I'm ok. We're ok. I'm coming_.

Suddenly, a blue light erupted from the broken halves of his staff, and Jack found himself rocketing up back through the window he'd fallen from, his power fully restored. "Guys!" Jack shouted. "I'm fine! Pitch's gone! We won!"

No one was in the hallway.

"Guys?" Jack called. "Guys! I'm here! I'm alive! Can you hear me? Please!" Jack screamed, shaking his head. It couldn't be. Where could they have gone? Of course! Rapunzel's parents' bedroom! Jack took off and found a room in the castle being the only one with a candlelight surging from its entryway.

Jack ran through the door and saw Rapunzel curled up on the bed with her short, brown hair, crying heart-wrenching sobs. Her parents held her between them, confused, but crying at the sight of their distraught daughter. Rapunzel was holding something close… two wands. One wand was the bright, golden wand Rapunzel had used for the past seven years. The other was the wand of darkened wood that Jack had left with Rapunzel's parents. "He's gone," Rapunzel cried. "And it's my fault."

"Rapunzel!" Jack screamed, running to the bed. He stopped at the edge, looking into Rapunzel's face. She sat there, crying, almost as if she didn't see or hear him. Jack looked at the king and queen. They were equally unresponsive.

Jack turned around to the corner of the room, where Hiccup and Merida stood, observing uncomfortably. Tears streamed down their faces as well. "This wasn't how it was supposed to turn out," Hiccup murmured, holding Merida close. His prosthetic leg, albeit supportive, was too hastily put together to really be satisfactory. He leaned onto Merida, who was crying as well.

"No!" Jack yelled, crying as well. "I'm right here! See me!"

"What do we do now?" Hiccup whispered, shaking in hopeless deject. "Is there anything we can do?"

Merida coughed in her sobs. "There's nothin' we can do. We can try an' find Jack's body, but Pitch probably took it." Merida's blue eyes seemed to be staring at an invisible terror inches away.

Hiccup shook his head. "Jack was supposed to be immortal, wasn't he? I thought he never supposed to die!"

Rapunzel looked up at these words and stared at Hiccup for a moment, trying to calm herself. Her words were nearly unintelligible as they stammered through choking sobs, and Jack didn't want to hear them anyway. "Jack's dead. But his legend lives forever. He's been immortalized through his bravery, loyalty, and wit. Jack will always be remembered, and what he stood for is always with us. But he's dead. There's nothing we can do about it." Rapunzel burrowed into the arms of her parents as she whispered, "We have to tell his family. He's got a father and a mother and an adorable little sister in the Americas… they like to go ice-skating together." Rapunzel broke down once more.

Jack's stomach twisted. Everything was taken from him so fast. Or rather… Jack was taken from everything. "Just because you can't see me doesn't mean I'm not here," Jack said slowly, his voice slowly rising into a despairing scream. "And I'll always be here for you. I'll always protect you. I'll always be there. I don't care if you never see me or hear me. I don't care if you don't believe I exist. I don't care if I never hear you calling my name again. I don't care… I don't care if you end up with another guy who's going to make you happy and drive you crazy at the same time." Jack's voice dropped to a whisper. "Someone who's going to love and cherish you forever. I don't care if you forget me. I don't care if I'm nothing but a memory, a fairytale you tell your kids. I'll always be here with you."

_Stay tuned for the epilogue, coming Christmas Day!_


	26. Epilogue

Epilogue

What happened to the big four?

Merida, Hiccup, and Rapunzel finished their Hogwarts education mainly to distance themselves from the tragedy. The school held a memorial ceremony for Jack, which he attended. He attended all his classes at Hogwarts, too. He was never accounted for, but he was there.

He was also there the following summer, when Merida and Hiccup got married at DunBroch. It was decided that Berk would become a tribal colony underneath the reign of Merida's kingdom- or rather, Hiccup and Merida's kingdom. Hiccup, closer than ever to Toothless since both had lost a left foot/tail wing, was able to establish a coexisting community between dragons and humans, with much help from Astrid, who finally began to understand his peaceful dragon approach. Astrid ended up moving to Berk and becoming the new tribal head underneath Merida and Hiccup after Stoic the Vast retired. Hiccup never showed his father the Resurrection Stone. Even though Stoic knew his wife had been a witch, Hiccup didn't want to burden his father with the knowledge that his wife was a stone-turn away, but never truly there. Hiccup, after he smithed himself a more suitable prosthetic limb, found a way to safely embed the stone on the inside of his Viking helmet, another part of his mother.

Merida's reign was noble and fair, and she led responsibly, but she never lost her adventurous flare. Since she had the Elder Wand, Merida didn't bother fixing her old wand. Not that she forgot it either. Merida could often be found riding her horse, Angus, through the woods with her bow, pieces of her cherry-wood wand still fastened into the arrows. On nights Hiccup took Toothless out for flight, Merida would usually take her broomstick from playing Quidditch in the good ole days and fly side-by-side. On some nights, the wind would seem faster and chillier, and that's when Jack would join as a third party in the races, but Merida and Hiccup would never see him.

The two had twin boys. Malcolm had Merida's hair but Hiccup's eyes and personality, while Lachlan had Hiccup's hair with Merida's eyes and personality. A year later, Hiccup wanted a daughter, and Merida thought it was a great idea. The two adopted a baby girl named Anoka from Berk, who was abandoned by her parents with a note explaining the child "was a freak". When her Hogwarts letter came years later, Merida and Hiccup's suspicions of Anoka being Muggle-born were confirmed.

Malcolm and Lachlan, who'd been sorted as a Hufflepuff and a Gryffindor respectively, were only a year above Anoka, who'd been sorted into Slytherin. But she wasn't alone in her house.

When Rapunzel returned to Corona, she found Eugene where she'd left him: under the care of her parents, slowly nursed back to the spirited young man he was. Eugene had reunited with Papa and was told his true biological father- the man who'd risen to be Captain of the Guard at Corona. The man didn't know he was Eugene's father, and Eugene decided he really didn't deserve to know. Eugene was cleared from all criminal charges to begin a fresh life as a shopkeeper. Eugene was learning to do things without magic, even though Rapunzel had given him Jack's old wand. Jack connected Eugene and Rapunzel stronger than anything else.

After just a year in the business, Eugene passed ownership of his shop to one of his most trusted employees to marry Rapunzel and become king of Corona. Just as he didn't miss Merida and Hiccup's ceremony, Jack was at their wedding, too. It hurt him to see Rapunzel walking down the aisle to give her hand not to Jack but to Eugene, who'd given up the old moniker "Flynn Rider". Regardless, Jack saw Rapunzel was happy. Nothing could've made him happier. Eugene and Rapunzel had two children together; a son named Flynn, who bore an uncanny resemblance to his father, and a daughter named Anna, who only had reddish-brown hair to distinguish herself from her mother. Rapunzel also had an older daughter that wasn't Eugene's, even though he was a great father to her and treated his stepdaughter like his own. The daughter was Jack's. Eugene never had to ask. Her white blond hair and stunning blue eyes told the story clear enough. Elsa also inherited Jack's powers, without the need of a staff to channel through. When she was younger, Elsa would always steal her mother's Cloak of Invisibility and sit underneath the fabric, creating miniature snowstorms to entertain herself.

When they went to Hogwarts, Elsa and Anna, three years apart, were both sorted into Ravenclaw; both eventually rose to Head Girl in their years. Flynn started a year before Anna and was in Anoka's year, Hiccup and Merida's adopted daughter. Just like Anoka, Flynn was put into Slytherin, and the two became very close. Eventually, they got married, and Flynn, the crown prince of Corona, became king, with Anoka ruling gracefully at his side.

Years passed. In his seventies, Hiccup was flying Toothless over the Norwegian Sea. Toothless suffered a fatal heart attack in midair, and the two plunged into the waters together. The Resurrection Stone is still embedded in Hiccup's Viking helmet, but no one knows exactly where the helmet is.

When Merida got the news, she only lived for another week after dying of a broken heart. Since she was royalty, her final will would be addressed to the general public, including the Muggles, so it failed to mention who would inherit the Elder Wand. Since Anoka was off in Corona, Malcolm and Lachlan had to decide between themselves who would receive the Death Stick. Both highly opposed to taking the Wand from each other, the two took their broomsticks from their Quidditch days as Beaters at Hogwarts and flew to a high, rocky point of Crone's Tooth. They hid the Wand near Fire Falls, putting special spells on its hiding place so only a worthy and noble witch or wizard could find it. The Elder Wand remains well hidden.

Eugene and Rapunzel lived for a while longer. Eventually, sickness took over Rapunzel, and she passed as well, leaving the Cloak of Invisibility to Eugene. Eugene, older than Hiccup, Merida, and Rapunzel, lived right into his early nineties before peacefully and mysteriously passing in his sleep. The Cloak of Invisibility was left to Flynn, who passed it onto his son… and his son… and his son… The family line has been obscured by this myriad of years, but legend has it that Rapunzel's descendants still hold the Cloak.

No one ever saw Jack. But Jack always saw his friends. And technically, since Elsa was his daughter, and Elsa's brother, Flynn, married Merida and Hiccup's daughter, Anoka, they were all his family. Technically. As for Jack's Muggle parents and sisters, they never saw him again, either. They were told the whole story of Jack's bravery, but were too deeply scarred to ever interact with the wizarding world again. In fact, when Rapunzel tried to contact them to tell them about Elsa, they were appalled and thought it was all lie, something to get them killed, too. Still, Jack looked after them as well. Flying back and forth from his Muggle family in America back across Europe to all his Hogwarts friends was hard work, but all worth it for Jack. He had to keep his mind busy. If he ever stopped working, that would mean he had to reflect and think. Reflecting and thinking hurt too much.

Finally, the twenty-first century came around. Jack decided to join a league called the Guardians, which included Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and Sandman. They each protected the children and their innocence, faith, and hearts. They each had their own little "center"; wonder, memories, hope, and dreams, respectively. This was how Jack found who he really was: his center was joy.

At first, Jack thought his center was fun. Happiness, amusement, laughter, playtime… but there was something more powerful than that. Jack felt his presence strong around children who would laugh and play in the snow. He also felt moved when he saw a child engrossed in a book, reading by a rainy window. When a child hugged his or her parents, or when they cuddled with a pet, Jack felt content. Jack realized that "fun" was only a product of his real center: joy.

Joy was contentment. When things around weren't troubling or dangerous. When there was freedom. When children could be themselves and make those memories Tooth so carefully guarded. A sense of happiness that never really went away. It was only Jack's responsibility to bring it out in the hearts of children, so that they realize that there is joy inside each and every one of them.

Jack guarded this joy with his life. Which says a lot, because his life couldn't end. Or could it?

The year was 2541. Jack had been a Guardian for over five hundred years. He'd been alive for… for… heck, Jack was the Guardian of Joy, not mathematics. And math certainly isn't joyful. He was flying around the world, looking at what it had become. Happy, for the most part. Content. Of course, chaos was inevitable, but Jack had done a pretty good job while he was on earth. He expected nothing less of himself. He'd been here _forever_.

Jack had long lost the descendants of his friends and even that of his own daughter, Elsa. That was way before he'd even become a Guardian. But life on earth had mingled so much, everybody was related to everybody by this point, and Jack could probably pick anybody on earth and trace lineage back to Rapunzel, Merida, or Hiccup. But no one could see him. A boy named Jamie and his friends came to know him, but that faded quickly. Jack became invisible, again, for a very long time.

He wasn't depressed. He wasn't upset. He wasn't miserable. But Jack was done. He felt a sense of completion for what he'd done on this earth. Jack slowed down his flight patterns a little bit and looked down to find himself soaring over a Quidditch Pitch. Hogwarts's Quidditch Pitch. The silver tiles of Slytherin's green-and-silver viewing tower reflected the silver glow of a full moon.

The moon seemed brighter than usual that night. Jack squinted into the distance. It was almost like a distinct beam of light was shining down into the Forbidden Forest.

Jack followed it.

He wasn't surprised when he saw it was shining over the lake in which he'd drowned for Rapunzel so many years ago. He wasn't surprised when he saw a perfect circular hole in the center of the ice into the still chilly waters. He wasn't surprised that the moon's beam of light shone right into that hole. The light probably made that hole in the first place. Jack landed onto the edge of the icy lake, walking slowly. He felt the ice clinging onto his heels and toes, holding him down in one last embrace before pushing his long strides forward. Staring up into the big full moon, Jack smiled one last time. "I've done my best," Jack whispered. "It may've not been enough. But I learned along the way. Seriously, though, even if I screwed something up, I just want to say… thank-you. I cursed you so many times for the hand I've been dealt, but I've done so much good for other people. And now you free me. I'm going to miss it, I guess… but I'm ready." Jack looked down at the hole, and he felt a burden lift.

Jack closed his eyes and held his staff in both hands in front of him, right hand on top of left. He didn't hold his breath. He didn't hesitate. He took one more stride and plunged straight into the icy waters.

Jack expected himself to feel that first plunge and then just float after sinking a couple feet. But Jack still remained in an upright position as he fell downward. Lower. Lower. Jack's ears popped and rang as he clutched his staff closer to him. Wait… his staff. It was gone. Jack was surprised to find he didn't care. He laughed. Merida's Elder Wand, Hiccup's Resurrection Stone, Rapunzel's Cloak of Invisibility, and his staff. All relics that just went away in the end.

Suddenly, a paper flapped in his face. Jack opened his eyes, since they'd been shut since he'd been plowing into the water. He found he could open them and see easily. Jack grabbed the paper and gasped. Wait, he could breathe, too. But that wasn't as shocking as what he held in his hand. The Marauder's Map. It fell out of his sweatshirt pocket that night he drowned.

At least, Jack thought it was the Marauder's Map. It read one single message: Mischief Managed. When he turned it over, the top of the paper was labeled "HOME". There were four people drawn underneath it. Rather, four stick figures. Two boys and two girls. One girl had crazy ringlets flying everywhere, and the other had long flowing hair that trailed behind her for quite a distance. All four were standing in a boat.

Suddenly, Jack's head burst out of the surface of the warm water. Wait. His head burst out of the water? Apparently, he'd been floating upward for quite a while. And the water was warm. Jack surprisingly liked the feel of it, floating up and down his bare arms. Jack realized he wasn't wearing his hoodie. He was wearing a white cotton t-shirt and these comfortable white pants. Almost like pajama pants, but more elegant. He looked into the surface of the water and saw his white hair and blue eyes still, but the color had returned to his cheeks from back when he had dark hair and dark eyes. He wasn't so pale anymore. Water stretched forever in every direction.

"Jack!" A voice called. No one had called Jack in a while. He turned around to see a canoe. Hiccup was standing in the canoe, with two good legs and the post-puberty handsomeness of his seventh year, waving Jack over. "We've been waiting for you!"

Jack swam like crazy.

When he got to the canoe, Merida, looking just like she did in seventh year, pulled him up into the boat. "Ye bloody idiot! We thought ye'd come sooner. We've been waitin' for an eternity. That's alright, though." She smiled wickedly. "We've got another eternity together, and then some."

Hiccup was in the same white cotton outfit as Jack, and Merida was wearing a sleeveless knee-length dress of the same material. A white cotton headband pulled her curls back to reveal her face clearer than ever. They were sitting at one end of the canoe together, smiling. "Well," a tiny voice squeaked, "aren't you going to turn around?"

Jack spun faster than any winds he'd ever conjured. Rapunzel was sitting on the other end of the canoe, patting the seat next to her. She was wearing the same white cotton dress as Merida, and her hair was as long and blond as ever, packed into its tidy little braid. White flowers decorated the braid up and down, and Jack realized she was barefoot. As usual. In fact, they were all barefoot.

Rapunzel blushed, and Jack realized he wasn't saying anything. He ran to her and nearly tipped the boat, enveloping her in a hug. Human touch. He craved it. As he loosed his embrace, he cradled her face affectionately. "Do you know how much I missed you?" she whispered.

Jack bit his lip. "I'm guessing about as much as I love you." He kissed her for the first time in what seemed like, and probably actually was, a thousand years. The warm pink sunset provided the perfect dramatic backdrop, and Jack felt like he could never get enough.

Finally coming up, he took Rapunzel's hands and looked at Merida and Hiccup. "How much time do we have together?"

"Forever." Hiccup smiled, his arm around Merida. "The four of us. Forever."

"How long have you been waiting for me?" Jack gasped.

"Forever," all three responded in sync.

"Time's complicated here," Merida shrugged. "All we know is there's day an' night here."

Jack looked up into the darkening sky. "It's his first night!" Rapunzel whispered in excitement. She squeezed Jack's hand even tighter. "You're going to love this. It's going to be the most beautiful thing you've ever seen."

"What?"

"Remember those floating lanterns from my kingdom?" Rapunzel smiled.

Jack sighed with contentment. He could get used to such a beautiful eternity. "Every night?"

"Yes. But they're not real lanterns. They look like lanterns, but they're really symbolic for something else," Hiccup said.

"Ye've changed lives, Jack," Merida smiled kindly. "Each light that flies into the skies every night are the lives o' the people ye've changed. We three have been sittin' here, not watchin' ye in particular, but watchin' the effects o' what ye were doin'."

A single lantern bobbed into the sky with an image that was a hybrid of a flower and a sun printed on the side. Rapunzel squeezed his hand. "Me."

Then, two more lanterns came. One had a dragon imprinted on it, and the other had a bow and arrow design. Jack looked across at Merida and Hiccup, who smiled knowingly.

Suddenly, an accompaniment of lanterns slowly spilled forth from the clouds, filling the infinite lake around them. The canoe bobbed in the water, gliding off in no direction, as the lights danced across the sky.

Jack stared into the sky as Rapunzel watched him admiringly. He held her closely and peeled his eyes away from the floating lanterns. "I told you it would be the most beautiful thing you've ever seen," she giggled lightly.

He stared her deep in the eyes, visually drinking her in. "The lanterns are close second, I'll admit." Jack winked playfully, and Rapunzel broke her eye contact bashfully. They enjoyed another kiss. This was Jack's future, what he had to look forward to.

His eternity.

Forevermore.

Always.

_Ok, guys… that's it! I really hoped you liked this. It's my first attempt at writing anything like this whatsoever, so I really had no idea what I was doing. If I've broken any rules, well, that sucks, because I'm keeping my work as it is. There's something about the purity of a first work that I can't ever let go of._

_I'm not going to be releasing any more chapters of this story, but depending on the reviews I get, I might publish another "series" thing… like how a movie sometimes becomes a TV series spin-off? This novel is like my "movie", and I might make a "spin-off series", if you will. The adventures of the big four at Hogwarts before seventh year… Anoka and Flynn's relationship… the childhood and experience of growing up before the big four met one another… something to fill in the gaps with _Frozen_ and touching on Anna and Elsa… maybe even something with Malcolm and Lachlan. Besides the fact that one's a spunky brunette and the other a shy redhead, I imagined them being like the Weasley twins, big pranksters and all. The close, utopian twin relationship without mindlessly killing off one of the brothers. I make the Unbreakable Vow that I won't kill off one leaving the other alone if I ever write about them._

UPDATE:_ A Hogwarts Storybook covering the adventures of the big four at Hogwarts before their seventh year can be found here: s/9980925/1/ROTBTD-Hogwarts-Storybook_

_Anyways, if you want more, please just let me know! My progress may be slow, but trust me; I see to it that it's good work. I can write for a lot of fandoms, and you can find them all on my profile! If there's another fandom you want me to write for, I'll check it out, see if I like it, and then maybe make a story just for you! Regarding my ships, I honestly don't mind writing for different ships. As long as I can make my little clause here: my OTP is, and forever more will be, Jackunzel, which is really hard, considering I also ship Rapunzel with Flynn, and they've got the advantage of being canon… I can't._

_I've gotten so many nice reviews and private messages about this story, and I want to take a moment to really thank you all for sticking with me and supporting me and correcting me along the way. In return, I'm going to give you some writing tips._

_1. Just read anything you can. Learn what to avoid from not-so-good literature and follow models of good literature._

_2. Observe everyday life and conversation. Some things said/done in books are surprisingly awkward in real life._

_3. Write everything. Even if it's something really insane, like a legend about a top-secret agency for polka-dotted unicorns on the other side of the double rainbow… actually, never mind. You're not allowed to do _that_. But, anyways, it gives you practice. Writing is more than creative ideas. It's about vocabulary, grammar, syntax, pacing, character development, and more. You don't need to publish everything you write, and you shouldn't even put yourself under such pressure to that. Just be creative and stretch yourself. Write._

_4. Daydream. Most of the time, write your stuff down, yes, but don't stop your daydreaming to structuralize everything. Keep imagining scenarios and playing out things in your head. When you're writing, you'll find random ideas flowing and connecting much easier._

_5. Research. Just a few sentences revolving around a certain specialization can take, like, an hour to write. The Internet is my hero because of this. Researching to keep your stories realistic actually give them more of a hook, especially if your reader happens to be an expert. Maybe you research while you write or before you write your story or chapter for the day. Find a way that works for you._

_6. Learn the rules. It's important to learn the rules, because the most important rule is to know when and how to break the rules._

_7. Find art (preferably abstract) and music (preferably instrumental) that you can write with, not just for concentration. I'm saying you should look at art and listen to music and create a story from that. This is why abstract and instrumental works best. It stretches your creativity and your perception, giving you better literary analysis skills for reading other people's work and learning to hide those same techniques in your work._

_8. Get someone to review your work. Family members honestly might not work best because they're just going to say you're amazing and flawless… or, worse, they just might discourage you. Get either a brutally honest and smart friend or some kind of teacher._

_9. Learn what environment you work best in. Same time/place, accompanied by the same coffee/Frappuccino/tea? Or does spontaneity help the ideas flow best?_

_10. When you write something, leave it alone for a month. Maybe two. Then go back and edit it, whether it's for grammatical and spelling errors or to change up the plot a bit and delete some scenes. Reading from the perspective of a writer is different than from the perspective of a reader._

_11. If you have writer's block, you're going to hate this tip, but clean. Wash the windows, make your bed, do the dishes, scrub the toilet… it gets that little nagging sensation of something-needs-to-be-done out of your head and gives you more freedom._

_12. If you're tired, stop writing. Ok, that last paragraph or two is fine, but I'm serious. A paragraph or two to complete the thought you already had going makes sense. Don't push to finish a chapter or deadline, because then you're just cranking out crap._

_13. Some authors write bios on their characters before they write a story. It can be really helpful, and I recommend it. But don't push to include the entire life, back-story, and quirks of Bob Jones within the first paragraph we meet him. Not everything from the planning board is imperative to make it to the story._

_14. Because it's so important: Not everything from the planning board is imperative to make it to the story._

_15. Don't write because it's what people want to hear. Write what needs to be heard. Write what's going to stick with people. Write what's going to change lives and get points across. Writing is so powerful, so don't you dare underestimate words. Playing with words is like playing with matches. They're tiny, but they have great power and can get out of control if you're not careful._

_16. Don't worry about being the best. There is no best. Suck it up._

_17. If you hate your writing, push past it. That's totally normal._

_18. For motivation and practice in one: write a short story, like five or ten pages, at the beginning of the year, and another story at the end of the year. Read the two stories and see your progress. Analyze your strengths and weakness, what's easiest for you to fix, and what you struggle with._

_19. Don't pull off something super dramatic, like character death or major tragic development, just to spice up your story. Don't avoid sadness for easy reading. Be real and give meaning to everything._

_20. The characters aren't you. Make them do something that's totally stupid and crazy that you know way better of and get into their heads to provide the perfect logic behind it._

_21. Don't get carried away with pointless details, but just adding random things like "his jacket reeked of coffee" or "her shoes squeaked more noisily than usual on the linoleum floor" can add a little hook that sparks the readers imagination and gets them more involved. I only learned a few months ago that this is an actual kind of figurative language called "imagery". Who knew?_

_22. Learn. You are never an expert. There's always something new to discover, so discover it. Learn it. Research it. Debate it. Argue it. Expand your knowledge outside of writing. Writing is a way of life, so your life will be reflected in your work. Might as well be an intellectual._

_23. Write poetry, even if you suck at poetry. It's been shown that writing poetry helps your writing skills, while reading poetry helps your reading _and_ writing skills._

_24. Challenge yourself. Read that _Shakespeare_. Read all of Mark Twain's works. That list of books you keep telling yourself you'll eventually read? Start now._

_25. Keep a journal. Not just a writing journal, but also a "Dear Diary" thing where you don't think about your writing; it's just your thoughts flowing out. Reading it over can help you collect your thoughts in the future and articulate things better._

_26. Title your chapter after you've written it. Title your book after you've written it. Heck, sometimes, name your character after you've written a bit about them._

_27. Don't integrate crazy vocabulary to make yourself sound smarter. If that's how you naturally are, then write like that. Please. But if it's fake, it'll be obvious, and you'll just look like you're trying too hard._

_28. Don't get caught up in coloring when describing a character: "Harry Potter had black hair and green eyes and pale skin." There's a reason the fabulous Queen Rowling didn't phrase it this way. She focused in on the fact that his hair was unruly and in constant need of a trim. The first thing she mentioned about skin was that he was flesh and bone with an unhealthy pallor, topping it off with a lightning scar on the right of his forehead. Not just that "he was white". However, she does make a point to mention the almond-shaped green eyes, because this actually is an important part of the entire series. Coloring can be very important, but try to think outside that more often._

_29. Talk with other writers. They can help you, and helping other writers also helps yourself in a way, like how quizzing a friend for a test helps you._

_30. Stop searching the Internet for writing tips and GO FORTH MY CHILDREN._


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